


Night at the Coliseum

by Shadowfax214



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Battle, Clerith, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 53,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25984573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowfax214/pseuds/Shadowfax214
Summary: Cloud and Aerith must battle together in the tournament of a lifetime.Can they win against the overwhelming odds stacked against them?
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Comments: 35
Kudos: 93





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi again everyone!
> 
> I had the idea to write about Cloud and Aerith's time in the arena a long while ago and finally decided to start a series with my interpretation of it. This work is a different version of what I think could have happened in Wall Market had things played out differently. I know; Cloud's not wearing a dress! I'm sorry, don't hate me for it! Ha Ha
> 
> As always I thank all of you for your support and wonderful feedback that I'm given through messages and Twitter. And as always I say Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

“Will entering this tournament make a difference with Don Corneo?”

Aerith stood in the middle of the Honeybee Inn, she was holding a pamphlet with information for the fighting arena that was to hold a once in a lifetime event starting tomorrow night. Warriors from all over Gaia were invited to participate in the contest that would separate the champions from the contenders. 

Glorious battle was scheduled in the heart of the sector five underground and would bring honor, riches, and fame to the winner.

Cloud had just walked back from the center of Wall Market with the news of the three-day event that could change their fortunes for the better. He stood nearby with his arms crossed, looking at the ground.

“I think so; the winner is supposed to be granted access to his private villa as part of the reward. It’s the only realistic way to find Tifa since we can’t get inside now. Security is too great all around that complex, I scouted the whole area and there is no way in without getting past the endless group of guards.”

Nodding her head; Aerith agreed that enduring the arena would be a fast way to get inside the Don’s estate. She had been stuck inside Wall Market with Cloud for two days and had yet to make any real progress in finding where Tifa was being held and had started to worry they might be too late in discovering her exact location.

Knowing that Tifa was probably somewhere locked up in the Don’s mansion, they had both run out of ideas or alternatives. 

“I’m worried you might be up against powerful opponents Cloud; the rules say you can have as many team members as you want. I am going to go fight with you, that will help your chances.”

The mercenary of sector seven was not having any of it. He shot his head up to meet Aerith’s face and responded with leveled criticism:

“Hey, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Let me take care of this, I’m a former SOLDIER and I can fight my own battles. You shouldn’t be put in harm’s way because of my problem.”

The flower girl was amused that Cloud thought he had a choice in the matter, she put a small smile on her face paired with a raised eyebrow in response to his concern.

“Oh? Is that so? I don’t need your permission to join the fight mister. Why don’t I just enter myself as an individual fighter and kick your butt in the final match? Then I can go rescue Tifa by myself.”

Cloud couldn’t help but hold a smirk at Aerith’s reasoning, she was right, he needed her ability with magic to help his case. The two of them were a stronger combination than his buster sword on its own.

“There is so much danger involved Aerith, I don’t want you to get hurt. If something were to happen to you I wouldn’t forgive myself. Elmyra is going to kill me just for having you here, where does she think you are anyway?”

Aerith couldn’t help but chuckle at this, Cloud was always trying to keep her out of danger and she was very good at putting herself in the middle of it. Flashing her quirky smile again while putting her hand on Cloud’s arm she continued her rebuttal:

“I told you I wasn’t a princess that needed to be coddled, I understand the danger and I am not afraid. I am actually more worried about you Cloud. You wouldn’t know when to stop, you would battle beyond your limits and probably even get yourself killed. Since you’ll have me with you I can help you before you cross that point of no return. Mom will know that I went to help a friend, and she knows how much I care about you already. She was shooting daggers at me all through dinner the other day when you weren’t looking. There isn’t any issue there.”

They had only known each other for three days but something about Aerith’s words gave Cloud a sense of comfort he hadn’t realized up until now. Aerith’s green eyes were clear windows to the middle of her soul. This girl was kind, she was witty, her personality flowed with a blissful presence that shined over her behavior the way the sun shined down on her flowers.

Realizing there would be no point in continuing the argument, Cloud let out a long sigh and surrendered. He knew he didn’t stand a chance against Aerith, having her as an ally would provide him with an unmistakable advantage regardless.

“Alright, let’s fight together. Promise me you will follow my direction when we are in the arena. I am trained in combat and I only give orders because I’m looking out for my allies. I don’t like to boss anyone around, it’s a SOLDIER thing ok?”

Aerith had looked up to meet Cloud’s gaze, his shiny blue eyes had a strong focus shifting through the air while resting on her face. His vision towards her showed his level of worry, she didn’t want him to worry about her safety but knew this was a byproduct of the situation they had gotten themselves in. Standing up straight, Aerith had reached out an open palm above her head towards Cloud, waiting for his reply.

Seeing Aerith’s familiar tactic had brought Cloud another smile that he didn’t bother to hide, he knew what the action of high fiving her hand meant. They were going to battle together and nothing would stop them from achieving the ultimate victory against any opponent that dared to stand in their way.

After high fiving over the fountain in the lobby of the Honey Bee inn, Cloud and Aerith returned to their room to get ready for bed. Cloud wasn’t comfortable sharing a room with a girl, especially one that he hadn’t known for very long but Aerith actually eased this concern by poking fun at his shyness every chance she had.

The usual jokes about sharing a bed and walking in on him while he was showering faded away from his discomfort the first night because Aerith was actually a perfect roommate. She never made a mess and kept everything she brought with her in the corner of the room by her bed. They had gotten lucky enough to have two beds so no awkward tension happened when they went to sleep, neither of them snored or kept any lights on so the previous evening had been very easy for Cloud to rest.

Aerith was not the least bit concerned about being in a room with Cloud, after removing her jacket and boots to slip into bed for the evening she realized Cloud had turned around to give her some privacy despite only her shoulders being exposed and it made her laugh as she sat down.

“Ha, you are such a gentleman Cloud. You can turn around; I promise I’m decent.”

Following the request, Cloud sat down on his bed and looked at Aerith as she pulled her pink bow out of her hair. He had just realized how long and beautiful her hair actually was as it fell over her shoulders and it almost made him blush to gaze upon the natural beauty that sat across from him. 

The flower girl actually looked like she was wearing some type of pajamas without her red leather jacket and boots that normally made her seem taller than she actually was. Her legs were exposed up to her knees and her arms showed off her porcelain pale skin that made Cloud wish he had a different room to sleep in because he had the overwhelming desire to stare at her beautiful body for the rest of the night. 

Fighting the urge to keep his jaw from dropping, Cloud had removed his sword and set it against the wall near his bed. He only removed his shoes before laying down and begrudgingly pulled his eyes away from Aerith’s side of the room. 

Keeping to her usual quirks; Aerith had noticed Cloud’s movements and wanted to talk a little bit before she turned the lights out.

“You really go to sleep like that?”

Cloud knew some kind of teasing was in store for him, he would do his best to push through it.

“What do you mean?”

Aerith was all smiles as she laid down on her bed, she held a small laugh at Cloud’s behavior as she pointed to his side of the room.

“You are sleeping in all of your clothes Cloud, I’d dare say you don’t even take your shoes off normally. Are you doing that now just to impress me?”

The mercenary couldn’t help but laugh at the jokes that were being thrown his way, he didn’t usually find the time to laugh but around Aerith, he just couldn’t help himself. Trying to keep the conversation going, Cloud decided to ask some questions of his own.

“Not really, you were right though I do sleep with my shoes on most of the time too. Hey, Aerith I have a question for you.”

The light on Cloud’s side of the room was already out, Aerith had gotten up to turn her light out and looked back at Cloud while laying back down on her bed. The atmosphere of the conversation had gotten deeper with the absence of light.

“What is it?”

Cloud was afraid to keep going but a feeling deep inside pressed his curiosity forward and something else told him Aerith was a safe person to get to know, he went ahead with his question.

“Were you an orphan when you were younger?”

There was no sound for about thirty seconds and Cloud was terrified he had already screwed up but Aerith’s calm voice reappeared over the silence and steadied his nerves.

“Hmmm, how did you find out? I kind of was but at the same time I was lucky, I never went without a mom.”

Cloud had a feeling back in sector five that Aerith did not have a normal upbringing but couldn’t remember why he had felt this way, he decided to just play the conversation by ear and see where it would go.

“When we were helping the leaf house kids I had a feeling that you might have belonged to that group at some time since you didn’t have a father at your house I thought that Elmyra must have adopted you when you were younger.”

The dark and quiet room had started adjusting the appearance of shapes to Cloud’s vision. He could barely make out Aerith’s bed and her body laying across it, which still looked lovely in the darkness as her eyes looked back at his.

“She did adopt me when I was young, my real mother was in an accident and I was with her when Elmyra found us. I played with the leaf house kids growing up but was never really an orphan. I was very lucky to be adopted by someone as kind as Elmyra was. She is really a great person Cloud, she’s going to love you one day, I promise.”

Cloud smiled knowing that Aerith wouldn’t be able to see his face and started to doze off, the talk was helping him find an inner peace that was putting his body to sleep, normally he would toss and turn in a strange place like this but something helped his soul find the peace it needed to close his eyes and rest.

“Hey Cloud?”

It appeared that Aerith wasn’t done with their talk. Cloud opened his eyes a little bit and tried to return a response.

“Yeah?”

There was a brief pause before she spoke up:

“What was your mother like?”

His eyes opened a little at this new line of questioning. It wasn’t a big deal for anyone to ask him about his mother but Cloud couldn’t remember the last time he talked about her. Not even Tifa had brought up the subject of his mother, why would Aerith have asked him? Of course, he had just asked her about her childhood, maybe he should perform a kindness here and return the favor.

“She was a great mom, I was a handful at times and I couldn’t make very many friends. My dad was never around so she was kind of both of those things for me. I really miss her.”

There was a peaceful silence after Cloud had talked about his mother, the room carried a calming presence as his story had finished and the evening felt like a happy side note to a purposeful day.

Aerith had one more thing to say:

“Cloud?”

His eyes were closed but he was still awake.

“Yeah?”

The flower girl asked the question she was holding inside all evening.

“Do you think we can win it all?”

The smile he carried on his face from earlier returned.

“That’s one thing I’m definitely sure of.”

After answering the final question of the evening they had both drifted off into a deep sleep. 

The new morning brought excitement and celebration to the streets of Wall Market. People from every corner of Midgar walked the streets of the lower levels in sector five. 

Chocobo wagons full of customers were backed up beyond the boundaries of the town, the nearby train station was overflowing with passengers walking from the concrete tunnels into the slums and up to the packed city of squalor.

Aerith’s cheerfulness was on full display as Cloud led the way through the packed streets. There were so many pedestrians walking in every direction that Aerith had to use Cloud’s buster sword as a guide to keep from losing track of him. Grabbing onto his arm a couple of times to refocus herself she spoke up over all of the commotion that surrounded them.

“Are we going to the arena now?”

Cloud was beyond annoyed at the circus that surrounded them, he was trying not to shove every person that pushed on his body from all the different walking trails that were overworked by the large number of people flooding into Wall Market. Aerith’s question was barely heard over the sound of the crowd.

“Yeah, we just have to get there in one piece, when we find the registration booth we can find out if there is anything else we have to do to sign up.”

Aerith nodded while taking Cloud’s arm to keep herself from getting lost in the tidal wave of people that was growing by the minute. After another half hour of swimming against the waves of strangers the two fighters were in a line of pretenders, contenders, and fellow warriors waiting to sign up for the tournament of a lifetime.

“Can you believe the grand prize?! A million Gil! And the chance to see Don Corneo’s mansion in person!”

Young fighters were shouting the advertisement all around them as excited patrons filed into the crowded coliseum to find seats for the evening bloodbath that would be sure not to disappoint.

“I heard that members of SOLDIER from Shinra were going to be in this tournament!”

Rumors and speculation spread throughout the entrance doors like wildfire as fighters from all over were standing in line to be registered, though the line was long the flow of people moved in a fast manner. Cloud was pleased to see that the queue ahead of them was getting shorter by the minute.

“Are you nervous?”

Aerith had looked back at Cloud to see what he was thinking about.

“Not really, just thinking about what we might face in there, I am always calm before a fight but I’m worried about having a partner. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Aerith was annoyed that Cloud still carried some doubt but gave a light-hearted reply to his concern.

“I don’t need anyone fighting my battles for me, I can take care of myself Cloud. I’m worried about you and I could never watch on the sidelines as you fight to rescue someone you care about. I won’t let anything bad happen to you or hurt you the same way you won’t let anything hurt me, got it?”

Nodding his head at her answer, Cloud realized they were in too deep to back out now. It was time to commit to what they were up against. 

Reaching the front of the line the attendant directed a question at Cloud:

“Individual or team?”

Aerith blurted out her answer before Cloud could say anything.

“Team!”

The attendant pointed to his left, teams of participants were forming on the left and solo fighters were being moved to the right. After following other groups that were being registered, Cloud and Aerith stood in front of another booth with a different attendant that was holding a lot of paperwork.

“Does your team have a name?”

Cloud was puzzled, were they supposed to pick out a name before signing up?

“Our names are Cloud and Aerith.”

Aerith had once again spoken up before Cloud had the ability to say anything and the attendant wrote something down on the papers that were laying in front of her.

“Okay Cloud and Aerith you are both new here so I have to give you some notices before you enter the waiting area for preliminaries.”

“Alright.”

Cloud had finally gotten a word in.

“First, I must ask you both that you understand the tournament tonight is a lethal, destructive, no holds fighting competition that could result in serious injury up to and including dismemberment and or life-altering injury and or death?”

Holding his concern, Cloud gave their answer.

“Yes.”

“Second, you both realize that the rules state that any combination of weaponry, materia, magic, monsters, and team members are allowed in the arena up until the start of the battle. Once the battle starts you cannot change team members or allow new equipment, weapons, or all of the above into the arena with you.”

“Yes.”

The rules didn’t seem too complicated, Cloud and Aerith listened closely to the rest.

“Lastly, a battle automatically ends when all members of one side are unconscious, dead, or submit to a total surrender.”

Cloud was curious at this rule, he spoke up.

“What is a total surrender?”

The attendant looked up while writing down more notes.

“A total surrender in the rulebook is achieved by admitting defeat, any fighter who does not wish to continue can announce their surrender by throwing his or her weapon down at his or her own feet. The fighter on the other team must acknowledge that you no longer wish to fight and accept the outcome. Once a fighter has announced their total surrender they may no longer continue in the tournament.”

(“Seems easy enough.”)

Cloud was internally processing the rules trying not to miss anything, after being handed a form to take with them, they both walked over to a large cargo elevator that was moving clusters of participants down to the lower levels in the coliseum.

The time had moved to mid-day. Only several hours remained before the festivities began.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Aerith face the first of many battles. How will they fare once they enter the ring together?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody, 
> 
> Well, I have gotten a pretty good idea of how I want to tell this Alternate Universe Wall Market story. I hope all of you like it. I thought I had kinda gotten things out of whack for a little while when I was putting everything together but it cleaned up well after editing.   
> Cheers to all of my FF7 and Clerith community.
> 
> Thank You for reading!

“Down down down we go.”

The wide elevator full of excited gladiators descended into the underground tunnels of the Coliseum. Cloud stood motionless staring at the floor of the lift while Aerith swayed a leg forward and back with small repetitions to keep from getting nervous. 

As their destination approached many of the contestants that stood in the lift spoke in hushed tones while eyeing one another suspiciously, the feeling of competition was already filling the air. As the cargo platform touched down another set of metal doors opened horizontally behind the chained-link gate and a sound boomed from the adjoining hallway.

The announcement must have come from some kind of speaker system.

“FIGHTERS! WELCOME TO DON CORNEO’S TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS!”

A long narrow path full of participants for the arena stood in front of the new arrivals. Everybody packed in the massive corridor appeared to be looking for officials to sort them into nearby waiting rooms. Sure enough, as the pandemonium of overcrowded queue lines continued; clusters of different participants were shuffled into rooms by organizers and security personnel.

“Kind of crazy to see this many people wanting to fight huh?”

Cloud snapped out of his inner silence as Aerith had asked him for his opinion.

“Yeah but the reward is fairly large, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more people signing up before the start of the tournament. Not that many will be cut out for the arena though, the violence will sort out the weak and the strong. I just hope there won’t be too many deaths, fighting can bring out the worst in anybody.”

An enormous red gate stood at the end of the giant hall everyone was lined up in. The gate was emblazoned with a giant bronze lion head that had a mouth held open looking like it was ready to devour the first fighter foolish enough to cross its path. The barrier that was preventing anyone from entering the base floor of the coliseum looked like a giant veil of power that was going to remind every group and solo participant the price of glory all through the night.

After standing in line for some time Cloud and Aerith met with a tournament official that took their form and asked them about their group status:

“Okay so you two are a team and you are ready to fight in the preliminaries correct?”

“Yep!”

Aerith had once again shouted their answer for both of them.

“Okay then, you guys are in room five for the preliminary round, good luck!”

Shifting through the sea of unfamiliar faces, Aerith had grabbed onto Cloud’s hand and walked with him into room five where they met a slew of unfamiliar combatants.

The room itself was a good size but was full of benches and chairs that contained various types of contestants. There was a group of four wearing tactical gear and carrying high powered assault rifles in one corner. Further down an apparent couple sat next to a large beast Cloud did not recognize, across from them sat a group of three thugs that were dressed normally but carried various street weapons and finally in the back a masked duo paired with a large bird and neither of them had looked up when they entered the room.

These must have been the team or group-based fighters just like themselves, everyone had a partner or partners of sorts.

Aerith awkwardly tried to wave hello as they entered the room; a few of the opposing members across from them actually returned her wave but Cloud wasn’t looking to make any new friends as he walked to an empty spot in the room and leaned against the wall. Aerith followed and leaned in towards his face to see how he was feeling about the approaching battle.

“Hey, are you feeling ok?”

Cloud showed no emotion or reaction to Aerith’s question and kept his voice low.

“Yeah, just thinking about what we might be up against, I’m trying to understand the rest of the people in the room.”

Aerith flashed a happy grin and stood next to Cloud, waiting for news about what would come their way next.

*

Inside the arena; two announcers stood in the middle of the large, circular floor while addressing the stands of crowded spectators that were becoming louder as the minutes passed. Every seat in the giant stadium was quickly becoming occupied while the overflowing pedestrian paths held large amounts of people standing up who were not lucky enough to find places to sit.

“Ladies and gentlemen we are proud to announce the 1st annual Corneo tournament of champions!”

The response was overwhelming, the sound of cheers shook the stone walls of the coliseum, the crowd was anticipating the buildup of action and was ready for the first event of the evening to start.

“My name is Scotch and this is my partner in crime Kotch! We are so excited to witness the action of glorious battle with all of you here in the pride of Wall Market, the coliseum!”

Continued shouts of joy echoed all around the packed atmosphere; in the VIP sections that stood vertically above the general seating area, Shinra executives, mob bosses, business owners, and their associates sat down in finely crafted leather chairs to showcase their influence above the general populace. The tension that filled the air carried on as fireworks exploded high into the rafters.

“Tonight for your viewing pleasure we start with our general preliminaries! As our wonderful tournament officials know we will be witnessing a free for all!”

The crowd was in a wild frenzy; many had gone to chanting at Scotch’s words:

“FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!”

Scotch and Kotch knew they had the crowd right where they wanted them; smiling with all of their energy pulsing through their arms and legs the two loyal members of Don Corneo’s crew shouted the rest of the introduction for the first events of the evening showcase:

“All in due time my fellow lovers of mayhem! As all of you know the rules of the preliminaries are simple! We bring our fighters out one room at a time and each room will battle it out in the arena until the last group remains standing! The winners of each fight will take their place in the tournament bracket!”

The response was full of cheer and applause; a magnificent tournament bracket was revealed on a giant screen to the far wall. The tree that was displayed was currently blank as no fighters had yet to advance from the preliminary round. The shape of the horizontal tree was unique as it had two sides that were mirror opposites of the other. The side shown to the right was for group/team fighters and the one on the left was for individual fighters.

“Now that we are all ready to proceed with all the action let’s get so damn loud the citizens of Midgar will hear us UP ON THE PLATE!”

The crowd continued cheering and screaming at Kotch’s announcement after the effect had started to die down the large metal gate on one side of the arena had opened up. Scotch had taken over the talking at this turn of events.

“And now the team fighters from room one are ready to engage in serious battle! Ladies and gentlemen don’t look away or you will miss some amazing destruction!”

Various fighters had entered the arena, some with monsters, some with robots, some with nothing but weapons that varied from guns to swords to shields and finally fists.

The sound of heavy metal music roared through the speaker system in the arena as the first battle in the group section of the tournament was underway. The cheering and screaming in the stands continued as the gladiators on the battlefield started tearing into each other.

*

Cloud and Aerith could hear the vibrations of the battle arena through the walls. The sound of gunshots and explosions could be felt in the distance and they both gave the other a concerned, knowing look at the feeling of dread that filled the room. They had both fought plenty of monsters in their time together but the overwhelming sensation of difficulty and competition had started to wear down their nerves.

Aerith knew they were in this for the long haul and grabbed Cloud’s hand without speaking to him, the mercenary from sector seven knew she was concerned and asked her a question quietly:

“Are you scared?”

The flower girl didn’t show any emotion but put her mouth close to Cloud’s ears in an affectionate way before responding to him. Aerith followed Cloud’s lead and did not want anyone else in the room to hear the words they were exchanging with each other.

“Kind of, but I have my bodyguard, right?”

Cloud’s face almost showed a hint of a smirk.

“Right, don’t worry, we’ll face it together.”

*

The preliminary rounds progressed further as more chaos, carnage, and bloodshed had taken place before the crowd of citizens that consumed the action with a thirst for more destruction as the evening continued.

High inside a VIP booth that stood over the center space of the arena a small man walked over to a well-dressed Shinra Turk and whispered something into his ear. The Turk opened his cell phone and made a call, after two rings the party on the other side answered:

“What is it?”

The line was open and ready for business.

“Tell the Don his pick for the solo bracket of the tournament has just arrived.”

The pause on the call was short.

“Has the fighter been instructed on what the stakes are?”

There was no hesitation from the Turk.

“Yes, clear instructions were given and there will be no alternative to what was agreed.”

Don Corneo’s assistant responded to the acknowledgment.

“Remember, if this goes wrong it will be more than just your head. You are in the Don’s world now.”

The call ended and the Turk placed his cell phone back in his pocket.

*

“Ladies and Gentleman can you believe we are already about to start our fifth group match of the evening?!”

Scotch and Kotch were yelling out encouragement for the crowd as the fourth round of preliminaries had closed and the field was being cleared for the next battle.

The crowd cheered and applauded the rhetorical question as field officials moved dead and unconscious fighters away from the arena floor. On the giant screen that oversaw the doorway a giant bracket filled with the names of the victors for each round. So far four group names glowed brightly in the tournament tree with many more blank spaces to be filled as the night continued.

Back in room five a tournament official opened the door and addressed the waiting participants as a whole:

“Five minutes everybody! Get your game faces on, it’s time for the real show!”

Aerith looked at Cloud with a mixed expression of excitement and worry.

“Ready?”

The blonde SOLDIER looked back at her face with confidence.

“Always.”

The fighters from room five showed patience with one another as they all had walked out into the nearby corridor and stood in front of the giant metal gate that led out to the arena. The gate was closed and a gatekeeper stood nearby with several medical attendants flanking him on both sides.

The man was wearing a leather vest with no shirt underneath and showed off a giant gold chain around his neck. He wore jeans that were full of holes and a cowboy hat that didn’t really belong, Cloud thought his choice of clothes might have been weird but stopped paying attention to all of that when the gatekeeper spoke up to everyone.

“Now listen up! I’m only going to explain how fighting in the circle arena works once!”

Nobody said anything as the gatekeeper was talking over all of the other noise nearby.

“We have already explained the terms and conditions of the rules before you signed up to fight but we have to go over how your medical worries will be handled and getting you out of the arena alive should you wish to keep from getting yourself killed!”

Every fighter in the group had remained still and seemed to show a strong urge to listen to the knowledge being presented.

“My name is Kyle and I am the gatekeeper for Mr. Corneo who has been kind enough to lend us this spectacular facility this evening for the tournament. We have the best trained medical staff this side of Midgar here in the building tonight to keep as many of you idiots alive as humanly possible so listen to the following instructions if you want to keep from dying.”

Pausing to let his instructions take full effect; Kyle looked at everyone’s faces and continued his lecture:

“The preliminaries are the most dangerous rounds of the tournament, there is so much confusion taking place all around each fighter that more deaths and maiming’s occurring in this round rather than any other. Should you feel outmatched or in fear of your life in this round simply throw down your weapon and move to the arena door, no fighter is allowed to attack you once you have surrendered yourself this way. They will be disbarred for the rest of their career should that happen.”

Everybody was taking the instructions in slowly and the tension of the future battle was filling the hallway with anticipation.

“If you survive the fight a trained medical attendant will see you are moved to a nearby hospital ward so our team of doctors and healers can work on you. Rest assured this team is fully trained and can handle any injury from burns, lacerations, gunshot wounds, and everything up to curses and magic damage. Whatever can hit you in the arena we have already seen it with our own eyes.”

The wait was almost over and everyone looked around at the teams of fighters knowing the civility would not last much longer.

Kyle received a buzz on his walkie talkie and gave a signal to the nearby medical worker to prepare for the next round.

“Lastly, I need to have everyone register their weapon here on the scale if they brought one. I need to make sure every fighter enters the arena and leaves with the same weapon they arrived with.”

Cloud and Aerith were the last to place their weapons on the scale, everyone looked impressed with Cloud’s ability to hold his buster sword with one arm and his powerful physique appeared to intimidate most of the group they were paired with.

After all the pomp and circumstance the time for fighting had finally arrived, the doors started to open and the sounds of excitement overflowed into the hallway where everyone was standing.

Kyle had covered his ears with his hands and shouted above the tsunami wave of sound:

“I’ll see you folks on the other side!”

Aerith glanced back at Cloud with a knowing look, the two walked side by side with their weapons held at the ready. They were the last to arrive in the middle of the arena and stood far apart from all of their competition.

Everyone from the room had distanced themselves in their packs with five different clans formed on the battlefield ready to attack once they were given the green light.

Kotch and Scotch were taking the elevator from the floor of the arena back to their box so they could provide commentary on the fight, the two announcers were all smiles as they looked down at the new group of tribute for the evening’s festivities. 

“Our fifth group of tournament warriors are READY FOR BATTLE!”

The crowd predictably roared at the introduction of new fighters, everybody in the stands was whistling and throwing compliments mixed with insults to the different groups as all the participants had taken defensive positions in the ring of combat. The tactical group raised their rifles and were poised to fire their rounds at any minute, the couple from earlier stepped away from their beast-like pet and were ready to get started, the bandits had their clubs and knives drawn and were ready to proceed, finally, the masked duo let their giant bird into the air as Cloud and Aerith scanned the field that stood in front of them.

Aerith was the first to say something;

“When they say go stand next to me ok Cloud?”

Cloud wasn’t sure what to say to this but he knew Aerith had an idea and he trusted her judgment.

“Ok, I’ll stay close.”

The crowd was chanting in unison and Scotch held up a hand to address the fighters.

“When the gong rings all fighters are free to battle!”

A small man walked up to the giant bronze gong and pulled out a white mallet, he took no time in striking the gong with the tool and opened the floodgates of violence that started pouring down over the arena to the screams of the crowd.

“NOW!”

Aerith was already prepared for the first wave of destruction, wasting no time at all she summoned the largest yellow flower Cloud had ever seen in front of them and used it as a giant shield. The effect must have been some kind of defensive magic. Bullets ricocheted off of it harmlessly as the crowd cheered from all directions.

“WOW! That is some incredible magic from the power couple in the back! What kind of flower do you call that Kotch?!”

The other announcer was just as amazed and screamed in delight.

“I don’t know but I want to find one of those for my girlfriend later!”

The crowd was going nuts, bullets continued to fly through the arena and the bird from earlier had taken too many shots in its wings to keep going, it hit the ground with a loud cry of anguish and the masked duo had already stormed back to it in fear.

The bandits were in the middle of close-range combat with the funny looking beast from earlier, it appeared to be part dog part science experiment, there must have been some kind of mako injection running through its veins because the muscles on its legs were unnatural. The couple stood behind it and tried to throw small knives at the bandits but kept missing.

After several more minutes, Cloud had started reflecting bullets with his sword as Aerith’s flower shield began to weaken under the rain of gunfire. Flipping her staff around in a full circle Aerith summoned a thunder spell and struck down a rain of lighting onto the cluster of tactically geared enemies that jumped apart when the magic had landed.

Two members of the gun-wielding group lied down on the ground, whether they were dead or unconscious Cloud didn’t have the time to check as he continued deflecting bullets from the other two who resumed firing after taking cover from Aerith’s counter-attack.

“WOAH! That spell was sure powerful wasn’t it?!”

“Almost as powerful as that beast eating that guy alive isn’t it?!”

Scotch and Kotch had continued their commentary on the fight while looking at the strange pet that had its teeth sank deep into one of the bandit’s legs and was digging further, the poor contestant screamed in pain from the bites. His allies were trying to get the animal off of their friend but it was no use, the strange pet was just too powerful.

Cloud had finally gotten free from the storm of bullets and knocked both of the remaining tactical fighters out of the way with a strong swing from the buster sword. He looked around at the situation as the fight developed and ran further into the mayhem.

“Who said guns were a good idea in the tournament?! Nothing beats a good sword!”

Kotch and Scotch continued their encouragement to the thrills of the crowd.

Aerith was staring down the masked duo that had tried to get their bird up from the ground, the poor once-powerful creature looked dead and as Aerith moved to strike both of the masked fighters threw down the whips they were carrying in their hands at their feet. After submitting to a total surrender they had both fallen to their knees in a non-verbal form of communication.

They were pleading for Aerith not to hurt them; they must have seen how powerful her magic strike had been earlier. Aerith thrusted a pointed index finger towards the door in frustration and the masked duo ran quickly from the battle.

Turning towards the rest of her opponents; Aerith focused her attention on the other side of the battlefield.

The couple standing behind their pet had run out of knives to throw and started fighting hand to hand combat with the two bandits that weren’t getting eaten alive by the strange animal that thirsted for bloodshed, while it appeared to follow their commands its power was too strong to domesticate.

Cloud had already come to the decision to take this horrific dog out, he ran at it full speed and struck his sword clear into the neck of the powerful four-legged abomination, the busted sword made contact deep into the creature as it let go of his victim and started howling with gurgled screams from Cloud’s attack.

The crowd gasped in unison at the sight of the impalement. 

“That dog is down for the count! I think someone must have called animal control!”

The bandits were retreating towards the door with their friend being dragged by the other two while the owners of the beast looked furious at Cloud because of his attack on their team companion. They both ran towards him with their arms stretched out yelling profanities at Cloud because he killed their only chance at winning.

Before Cloud could even raise his sword to strike at them Aerith had cast a wind spell that hit both of the enemies squarely in their midsection as they flew off the ground and crashed into the wall with a spectacular thud that caused the entire arena to break into another loud roar of approval.

After seeing the bandits and masked couple retreating into the nearby hallway as the doors had opened Cloud and Aerith looked around to survey the wreckage left behind; all four members of the tactical gear squad lied on the ground and weren’t getting up. The beast from earlier had died from Cloud’s sword attack, the bird from the masked duo lied dead on the ground and the couple that were paired with the beast were laying near the wall Aerith had just chucked them into.

“The winners of the fifth round of preliminaries, ladies and gentlemen give it up for our new young couple with a boundless love for bloodshed!”

The crowd was chanting praise at the announcement.

“CLOUD AND AERITH!”

Fireworks had exploded in celebrating fashion above their heads as Cloud looked all around to take the jubilant scene in.

They had finished the first round and were qualified to start fighting in the tournament of champions.

Cloud actually smiled as he looked at Aerith raising her hands up to accept the cheers of the crowd. She looked back at him smiling and holding a large grin on her face as she said the first thing out loud that came to mind.

“We did it Cloud!”

The two fighters walked up to one another and high fived with a strong touch of hands that cemented their victory for the first round.

The tournament bracket was opened on the screen and the victors saw their names added to the tournament tree on the right into the fifth slot from the top:

The Dynamite Duos  
Cutty and Sweepy  
The Powerhands  
Beck’s badasses  
Cloud and Aerith

There were seven more spaces that remained blank below their names which meant more carnage and destruction awaited the night at the coliseum. The crowd continued their shouts of encouragement as Cloud and Aerith walked back towards the gate.

“Look at them! They are so adorable!”

“You’re the man Cloud!”

“Aerith! You are amazing! Female fighters rock! I love you!”

Cloud and Aerith walked back to the corridor they came from with cheers and applause surrounding them the entire way as complete strangers shouted encouragement from every direction.

While the gate closed behind them; Kyle gave his first thoughts of the night post-battle.

“That was a good first round for you guys but I would like to guess it was beginner's luck. Take it easy from here on out and try not to get yourselves killed. Your next match is tomorrow night so you are free to leave now if you wish.”

Aerith wasn’t finished with their chat.

“Where are the people we fought against?”

Kyle looked dumbfounded that Aerith would ask such a question.

“In the nearby medical wing, why do you care?”

Cloud was curious as well as to why Aerith wanted to know about their opponents before he could say anything the flower girl had already run away from him into the next hall and Cloud had to chase after her.

Falling behind had caused Cloud to lose Aerith for a minute and he had to look through a couple of doors before finding her standing in a nearby medical room talking to a staff member about the people who were brought inside after the fight.

“I can help, I’m a healer. Please it’s the least I can do.”

The doctor had both of his hands up in protest to Aerith’s offer; he stood firm and explained the situation delicately.

“Miss, don’t worry we see stuff like this all the time, there were some magic injuries and minor contusions on the people who survived and I just finished patching this guy’s leg so nothing to be concerned with. I promise everyone in here will be alright.”

After getting shuffled out of the medical wing Cloud and Aerith walked slowly back to the elevator so they could return to the streets of Wall Market. Cloud had been wanting to tell Aerith about how grateful he was for her assistance back in the fight and said the first thing that came to his mind.

“I’m glad you had my back out there, it would have been a rough fight without your magic to help.”

Aerith almost laughed when she heard what Cloud had just admitted, a compliment from such a stoic swordsman like him? She turned her face to stare at him before asking about it.

“OH, is that a compliment mister? I didn’t think you were capable.”

The mercenary walked forward without showing any reaction to Aerith’s banter and responded.

“Yeah, I guess we are both just full of surprises today.”

Aerith held off doing any more teasing as they both felt tired from the first night of fighting they could check off the list, there were two more nights of challenges that lied ahead for the “power couple,” as the tournament announcers had called them.

Stepping out of the Coliseum’s front door many people standing around the outer walls cheered and hollered at Cloud and Aerith as they had walked out into the streets that ran north and south in front of the Don’s estate.

Cloud realized giant TV monitors had been set up outside the Coliseum and were broadcasting all of the action to the people in Wall Market who couldn’t make it inside to see the fighting up close.

It was at this moment; Cloud and Aerith had become local celebrities, neither of them were particularly happy about it. The new fighting couple awkwardly smiled and waved to the crowd of strangers rushing up to them to ask how the battles were organized backstage and who they were fighting next. 

Cloud was far from comfortable talking to a crowd so he shuffled himself and Aerith away from all the attention as quickly as he could get them away from it. Without ruffling too many feathers the duo had escaped the admiration of Wall Market’s citizens and were walking back to the Honeybee Inn to call it a night.

“You had them in the palm of your hand Cloud, you are a natural at getting attention.”

Cloud knew Aerith couldn’t help herself in this situation, he was ready for it though.

“Well if you could do the speaking for me I wouldn’t have to go to such lengths for us to walk back in peace.”

Aerith kept her signature grin while Cloud stormed towards the street that would take them back to their room for the night.

The flower girl was actually highly fatigued after the events of excitement for the day and poked Cloud in the arm so he would pay attention to her.

“What?”

Aerith just kept the happy look stuck on her face as she pestered her bodyguard.

“What are the odds you can carry me back to our room? I don’t know if I am going to be able to walk the whole way.”

*

After making it back to their room in one piece, Cloud had actually carried Aerith up the stairs in the Honeybee Inn after telling her she could walk the rest of the way outside. He felt terrible for making her wait as long as he did because she had almost collapsed into his arms when they reached the lobby.

The mercenary of sector seven thought it had been a joke, he didn’t realize Aerith was actually exhausted and he felt terrible for it.

Laying Aerith gently on her bed, Cloud apologized over and over for being insensitive.

“I am so sorry I didn’t listen to you sooner.”

Aerith was trying to self-contain her small chuckles at Cloud’s concern. She wasn’t doing a good job at this.

“You worry too much; I was just tired from all of the spells I cast earlier, I’ll be up and energized in no time Mr. bodyguard. You did a great job protecting me tonight.”

Aerith was strong enough to poke fun at him for his worry but after another minute or so she had started to doze off from the intensity of the day’s events. 

Cloud removed his sword and sat down on his bed. He would have normally washed up for the night but seeing Aerith in a weakened state had caused him to forget whatever else he was supposed to be doing. He stared at her with concern for a long while before drifting off to sleep himself.

“Cloud………. Cloud?..........Hey, how are you feeling?............. Earth to Cloud! HELLO?!”

Aerith had put her hands on either side of Cloud’s face to get his attention; the SOLDIER had fallen asleep while watching over her when she had laid down. Looking up, he noticed Aerith had washed up for the evening and was standing over him with her hands flat against both of his ears to get his attention.

“You must have dozed off.”

Cloud’s reflexes jumped into gear and he pulled himself away with a quick flinch at Aerith’s touch. He immediately missed her warmth and soft hands once he had pulled his face away from her and Aerith almost looked like she had a bit of a frown because of his reaction.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

Returning Aerith’s look; Cloud matched his eyes to hers and spoke softly:

“You didn’t scare me, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to jump. Are you feeling better now?”

There was no natural light in the room as Cloud noticed the atmosphere outside the window was still dark. It must have still been nighttime, he returned his eyes to Aerith’s face.

The same laugh and smile that followed Aerith’s personality everywhere she went showed brightly as Aerith nodded and plopped down on the bed next to Cloud. She leaned her body into his with a fast reply.

“Much better now that I’ve showered, it was relaxing. The bathroom is free if you wanted to go clean up for the night.”

She had copied her habit from the previous night; Aerith wasn’t wearing her shoes or her jacket but had her dress on for bed, her hair had been let down and looked to be clean and recently brushed.

Cloud couldn’t help but notice how beautiful Aerith’s skin glowed in the dim light as she leaned against his shoulder to compliment him on a job well done.

“You were amazing out there Cloud; the way you fight is almost like a work of art. I’m happy you trust me enough to help you rescue Tifa.”

While he didn’t reject Aerith’s cuddly nature he hadn’t really welcomed it either and Cloud found an awkward balance of behavior needing to be met while he stood up. Turning back to the flower girl who was still sitting on his bed, Cloud responded to the compliment he had just been given.

“You were amazing too; where did you learn how to cast magic like that? It was incredible.”

Aerith’s cheeks glowed a small shade of pink before speaking, Cloud’s encouragement must have caught her off guard.

“I was raised in the slums and I’ve learned a thing or two about fighting. That was just a small taste of what we can do if we work together Cloud. I think we are only scratching the surface of our talents, don’t you?”

The way she spoke it almost sounded like something deeper than fighting was at the core of Aerith’s question. It made Cloud think she was talking about something more serious, he couldn’t help but notice Aerith’s face was even more beautiful than it had been the previous night and Cloud snapped his eyes away as he excused himself and went into the bathroom to clean up.

He was now dealing with something he hadn’t felt before, was it attraction? Did he have a strong attraction for Aerith? He didn’t need this in his life right now, as if things couldn’t get any more complicated.

“Yeah, there is a lot more we can do if we put our minds to it. Goodnight Aerith, I’m going to shower and get back to bed.”

Aerith nodded and went back to her bed to lie down.

“Goodnight Cloud, sweet dreams.”

Showering brought a sense of peace to Cloud as he thought about the fights that had already happened with Aerith and pondered what they could be up against tomorrow. A small feeling of encouragement empowered him as he realized whatever lied ahead they would face it together.

Walking back to his bed, Cloud saw that all of the lights were out and Aerith was sleeping peacefully in hers. Had they both not been so tired Cloud would have liked to ask Aerith more about her childhood in the slums, she had such a way with magic he couldn’t help but think she might have had a teacher.

Or maybe, there was something special about Aerith, something she hadn’t told him yet…………..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think in every story of the game these two are just so much fun to write about and their characters and personality go great together. I have so much fun writing about stuff like this so if you have any thoughts feel free to leave a comment. Goodnight Everybody.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The solo fighters have started their battles. Will Cloud and Aerith find out anything new before progressing into the tournament?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again everyone!
> 
> Happy to post another update! Thank You so much for reading!
> 
> Wanna make a side note here: Clerith week on twitter was amazing! I am honored to be surrounded by so many talented artists, writers, theorists, and content creators. I feel wonderfully blessed to be a small part of such an amazing community. FF7 will always be my favorite game of all time and sharing it with so many other people who love it just as much means a lot to me.
> 
> Enjoy!

“So what did you want to do this early in the morning?!”

Cloud didn’t mind being up early when it came to responsibilities; being a mercenary and having grown up with a military background, it was common for him to get up before the sun would even rise over the slums on most days.

Despite this common behavioral trait, there should have been no rush to wake up so soon before their next battle. The fight wouldn’t be until late in the evening in any case. 

Understanding that schedule had caused the blonde mercenary to ask in protest as to why Aerith had snatched his blanket off of him without warning. 

While his mind was still in complete surprise; Aerith had dragged him down the stairs of the Honeybee Inn out into the open streets of Wall Market.

At least she was kind enough to let him grab his shoes first………………

“I wanted to share some breakfast with you! We really haven’t eaten any kind of meal together since yesterday morning and I’m starving sleepyhead.”

Sighing at the openness of Aerith’s intentions; Cloud got the flower girl to let go of his hand and sat down to put on his boots. 

They proceeded to a nearby bakery that had just opened for early rising commuters. The various pastries and cakes the shop made were a perfect start for a morning meal.

The sun had just started to peak into the sky, a sunrise was on its way.

Finding an outside table to sit down at; Aerith was thinking about ordering something while Cloud went to a nearby vendor to find some coffee before returning to join her.

Aerith went overboard and decided on various scones and sweets, she had just opened the box of food when Cloud sat down across from her and handed her a coffee.

“Wonderful timing, thank you, Cloud.”

Sharing a meal alone with Aerith brought Cloud into another unfamiliar feeling.

While this girl was open with her emotions, he was just starting to see the surface of what she was like outside of sector five. Aerith wasn’t overly proper; Cloud knew she was just as comfortable kneeling in the dirt to pull weeds as much as she was standing in an orphanage speaking to groups of children. 

This mysterious beauty intrigued him; he couldn’t ever remember anyone else ever tearing him out of bed in his life and the more he thought about it, no one else would have been brave enough to do so because of his outward behavior and appearance.

But Aerith was more than just brave; she was special, there was something unique about her.

After a few minutes of quiet eating, Cloud’s daydreaming was interrupted: 

“Do you ever take those gloves off?”

The SOLDIER looked back at Aerith’s green eyes.

“What do you mean?”

Aerith’s smile stayed on her face as she finished another scone and spoke up to Cloud answering a question with a question.

“Your gloves are meant for fighting right? Why are you wearing them now? You didn’t bring your sword with you.”

Cloud just realized that he left his sword back in the room.

(He never did that; it was very uncommon for him to leave the buster sword anywhere.)

While they weren’t in any danger, the sensation of not having it on his back was making Cloud feel uncomfortable.

“Yeah; my gloves are for fighting but I never really take them off unless I have to.”

Aerith didn’t say anything in response to this; she had finished her coffee and was about to ask Cloud where they should go next before someone else approached their table.

“Ummmm…………. Can I ask you………. Something, sir?”

A young boy in an apron stood nearby and stared at them both with a nervous expression. He was stammering and spoke with a voice hardly above a whisper.

Cloud and Aerith both looked up from the table. 

“Sure, are you ok?”

Cloud was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt because he knew Aerith had a strong soft spot for children. They had spent a long time around the leaf house kids just the other day and this boy appeared to fit that age group.

“Uhhhh…………you two were fighters…………… from yesterday, right?”

“Ace! Come back over here son!”

The boy had scrambled away at the call of his father, the owner of the bakery walked up to the table.

“I am so sorry about that, my son loves to watch the coliseum fights on the giant screens outside. I’ve tried to tell him that stuff is too violent but he really enjoys the spectacle and celebration of it all.”

Aerith was curious as to why the boy went away.

“Oh that’s no trouble; did he want to talk to us?”

The shop owner just shook his head and answered.

“I think he mentioned something about wanting autographs or something funny like that when he saw you both walk up, really it’s nothing that needs to be bothered with. Please go on with your morning.”

Aerith wasn’t going to let this boy get disappointed.

“Please let him come back outside, if it’s ok with you we want to talk to him!”

Cloud nodded at the flower girl’s request, joining in the encouragement.

The father just laughed and responded:

“Well ok, but he can be a chatterbox. Come on out Ace! These nice fighters want to see you.”

The boy from earlier ran back out with a pen and some pamphlets that had pictures from the battles the night before, he asked Cloud and Aerith if they could sign a few while showing them the one where they were high fiving after winning their preliminary round.

Fulfilling the boy’s request, Aerith and Cloud were just about to ask Ace some questions before he went on a long spill. 

“You guys are so cool! Where did you learn your awesome moves?! Can you use magic too Cloud or is Aerith the only one who can? Where did you get that huge sword Cloud? Are there other cool weapons or spells you haven’t used in the arena yet?!”

While laughing a little bit and answering some of Ace’s questions, an even smaller, incredibly adorable little girl walked up to Aerith.

“I like your dress.”

Aerith had just noticed the talking little girl that must have been less than half the age of Ace and her heart melted at the sight.

The small child must have been another kid that belonged to the baker, she was dressed in overalls with a white shirt underneath. She had blue eyes and light brown hair, which was carefully placed in pigtail braids like someone had just gotten her cleaned up and dressed to start the day.

She was holding a Chocobo plush and stared at Aerith inquisitively with those adorable blue eyes.

“What’s your name sweetheart?”

Aerith had gotten out of her chair to talk and kneel in front of the new visitor. She kept her cheerful smile to show how much she appreciated the company she was being given.  
“Oh, that’s Lily, my little sister.”

Ace had gotten distracted by his sibling for just a second before talking more about how awesome Cloud and Aerith’s last match had been. 

The young boy was reenacting the scene where Cloud had stabbed into the big dog’s neck and the crowd had gone crazy while Lily was touching the bangles on Aerith’s wrist and was asking her what they were made out of.

The green-eyed woman just smiled and stared at how precious the child was that had all of her focus and explained her metal bracelets to the little girl in a kind voice.

“These are bracelets someone special gave to me a long time ago.”

Lily was looking at Aerith’s face and was smiling, she appeared to be making a new friend.

“Your hair ribbon is pretty; you are really pretty. I hope my braids will be as long as yours one day.”

Aerith was gushing in happiness from the child’s words and her attention, she asked Lily what she liked to do for fun, and if she enjoyed having an older brother.

The shop owner made his way back over, he noticed his children were still talking to the early morning customers.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for either of them to come bother you.”

The dad was apologizing to Cloud without speaking over his kids and the blue-eyed swordsman just shook his head.

“It’s no problem at all, this was actually a nice change of pace from all of the screaming fans outside the coliseum.”

The father was extremely thankful that Cloud and Aerith were patient people, looking back at his children with Cloud, they saw Aerith talking to them both about some of the magic she used in the arena and the kids appeared to be having a fun time listening to her story.

“You are both a class act, I’ve got something I’d like to give you for your kindness. Wait here and I’ll be right back.”

The blonde mercenary was about to politely turn down the offer because they didn’t need anything else but the bakery owner had already turned around the corner. After a couple more minutes with the children their mother arrived and shuffled them back into the shop.

“Awww, do we have to go, mom?”

Ace was annoyed he had to end his fun, Lily hugged Aerith goodbye and waved as she ran back inside when her mom called for her to come in.

“Yes Ace, it’s time to start the day and let them get started on theirs. Come on now.”

Cloud actually gave the boy some encouragement before he left.

“I’m sure we will run into each other again. Maybe someday I’ll see you in the ring.”

Ace pumped a fist into the air with Cloud’s appraisal, he ran inside with his pamphlets telling the power couple how awesome they were and the time with the two kids finally came to a close.

“That was a fun breakfast, wasn’t it?”

Aerith was cheerfully asking Cloud what he thought about their morning snack time.

“Sure.”

Cloud gave his short opinion on the entertaining start to the day.

“Finally done, sorry I took so long.”

The father had made it back from his errand.

“Really, you don’t have to……….”

Cloud tried to explain they didn’t need to be rewarded for their kindness but the bakery owner was insistent.

“Please take these, I have been offered them many times by my peers in the market and I never have the time to go. My children aren’t old enough to come with me or my wife anyway and the two of you could use this to your advantage.”

Curiosity piqued their interest, Cloud and Aerith didn’t know what was in the manilla envelope the shopkeeper was handing to them.

“People are too busy with their lives or too wrapped up in themselves to notice when children try to talk to them. This morning was the only time I have ever seen adults like both of you show them any kindness and patience, I want you to know I greatly appreciate it. Please come back to the bakery one day for another box of scones on the house, we are rooting for both of you!”

The owner had run back inside his place of business with a wave at both of them as he scurried off. Cloud opened the envelope and looked at its contents.

“What is it?”

Aerith was looking at the envelope with interest.

Cloud pulled out two unused ticket stubs.

“These are passes to the medium level seating section at the coliseum for today and tomorrow.”

Aerith’s eyes lit up in excitement.

“Ooooh! Should we go watch some solo fights to pass the time today Cloud?”

It certainly would help them see what life was like on the other side of the arena, maybe they could learn something useful as well in the meantime.

“Well, it could be helpful for us to research, especially if we face any of those fighters in the finals.”

The way the tournament bracket had been designed, it appeared the winner of the solo bracket would fight the winners of the group bracket for the championship round and the grand prize. 

“Lead the way Mr. bodyguard!”

-

The sounds of the coliseum faded to dull noise in the front yards of the decorated mansion that belonged to Don Corneo.

The second day of fighting was about to proceed and the crowds had already gathered up and down the nearby streets to cheer on the violence.

Standing in the main entry hall that bordered the powerful man’s master suite; a group of bandits approached the interior entry door and knocked.

They were escorting a blindfolded prisoner who was handcuffed, he appeared to be shaking his head and whimpering with fear.

A slot in the door opened.

“What is it?”

The leader of the bandits chuckled as he gave an answer.

“Tell the Don we have arrived this morning with a gift that he has offered a royal bounty for.”

“Very well, you may proceed to the Don’s office of business.”

The interior security door opened with a loud scraping sound to show a dozen armed men standing guard inside the halls of the huge estate. They were carrying all kinds of weapons and laughed as the bandits marched their prize up to the office wing.

After marching up the stairs and into the Don’s main office, the bandits took a long look around at the well-furnished room. They had walked quite a way to arrive in this lovely space.

The place was large and full of art, incredibly sized canvases, paintings, sculptures, and vases lined the walls and floor space of the giant crime lord’s home of work. The room reflected the Don’s personality, a treasure trove of power and influence. 

Scotch and Kotch walked through a nearby door to announce that Corneo was approaching. They both carried pistols at their side.

“Presenting his royal eminence; the Don himself!”

Don Corneo walked through the same door as his assistants; there was nothing particularly menacing about his appearance but the atmosphere in the room immediately darkened as he walked in without one hint of a smile.

The crime lord was flanked by several lackeys on both sides as he sat down in front of a giant oak desk and picked up a stack of papers. He lit a cigar while rifling through them before speaking up to the bandits:

“Bring the filthy thief you have caught to the front please.”

The bandits chuckled as they grabbed the pleading prisoner by his arms and shoved him in front of the Don’s desk. The captured man whined in protest and bowed his head towards the ground in total surrender.

“Ah yes I see, this is the asshole who was caught raiding one of my storage units. Took us longer to find you than I thought. Kotch, how much did this idiot get away with?”  
Kotch was holding some papers and appeared to be adding up some numbers.

“The latest manifest from the black market is a day behind but……...”

Corneo sighed and interrupted:

“Your best guess is fine Kotch.”

Kotch put the papers at the end of the desk.

“Roughly sixty thousand Gil in receipts from that warehouse are unaccounted for.”

The Don scoffed and signaled for a lackey to walk up; after opening a drawer he pulled out a large cloth bag and handed it to his follower.

The man walked over to the bandits and dropped a bag that was heavy with Gil on the floor.

The leader of the bandits smiled as he lifted the bag and looked inside; he laughed with glee as his men left the room ahead of him and looked back at the Don before walking out.

“So what are you gonna do with him?”

The big boss just chuckled before taking a puff on his cigar.

“Why? You want to wait around and see? It won’t be a pretty sight. Don’t worry about what we are gonna do here, find me some more idiots who think they can steal from me and get away with it. I’ll pay even more for the next one you catch.”

The doors closed behind the bandits and Corneo got up from his desk.

He signaled for the blindfold to be removed from the thief, there were tears in the man’s eyes as he looked up.

“Please boss, I’m so………….”

The Don backhanded the pitiful man.

“Shutup! You are a damn fool and are no longer an employee of mine. You know what we do to fools around here.”

The prisoner’s eyes had gone wide with fear as he begged for his life.

“Nooooooo, please!”

The crime lord gave a nod to the other lackeys; the man’s screams faded as he was dragged down the stairs to the interrogation chamber.

The Don walked back to his desk and sat down before summoning Scotch to the front.

“Yes sir.”

Corneo was taking another puff on his cigar before addressing Scotch.

“Make sure his body is never found. A shame that I have to miss this one but you know, got a whole sector to run and everything. I have an important meeting coming up as well.”  
Scotch smiled before he walked towards the dungeon.

The Don wasn’t finished.

“Oh and Scotch?”

The henchman turned around.

“Yes, boss?”

The Don reminded his lieutenants that something else was happening this morning. 

“You and Kotch need to get a move on after, it’s time for the second day of the tournament to start after all. None of the other men can announce a fight near as well as the two of you.”

-

“Is that Cloud?”

“Yes, that’s him! Hard to tell without his sword, and look! That’s Aerith!”

There were a lot of people in the Coliseum lobby that recognized Cloud and Aerith as they walked to the elevators behind the ticket booths.

Occasionally, some nearby citizens would walk up to them and tell the power couple how much they loved their fight from the previous night.

Aerith would always answer the compliments with a smile and give a short reply with thanks at the end. Cloud would simply leave his arms crossed most of the time and give a quick one-word answer that usually summed up as a thank you. 

“Maybe using our real names was a bad idea.”

Aerith was giggling at Cloud’s demeanor as the two fighters walked from the elevators into the second tier level of seating inside the coliseum. The giant arena had already started to fill with people from Wall Market as the timer on the main screen signaled a countdown before the fighting would begin.

Handing their passes to a nearby attendant; the worker tore the stubs and handed back the used tickets to Cloud, who took Aerith’s hand as they walked down the steps and followed an usher who pointed out their seats.

As they sat down to take in all of the festivities; Aerith reminded Cloud about something important.

“We are going to have to leave before the solo fights end. We need to go back to the Inn and get your sword later.”

Cloud completely forgot about that, understanding his partner was more perceptive than he thought. The realization made him speak up:

“Sometimes I wonder what I would do without you.”

Aerith gave him a playful shove before turning her attention to the field.

The timer was about to hit zero as the crowd counted down the seconds out loud.

“FIVE…... FOUR…… THREE…... TWO…… ONE!”

“Ladies and gentlemen are you ready for more action?!”

A roar of applause sounded from all around the arena as the crowd cheered their favorite announcers rising to the press box from the field.

Scotch and Kotch took their familiar places above the stands and encouraged the crowd to get loud as everyone screamed for more fighting to start.

The lights in the stadium all went dark and a spotlight shined on the announcers as they shouted their words to the crowd:

“We have missed you all our fellow lovers of mayhem! But you know what they say: absence makes the heart grow fonder!”

The crowd was cheering and screaming praise as Kotch and Scotch made their typical pre-fight speeches.

“And now we will present our individual tournament bracket of solo champions!”

The same large tournament bracket that Cloud saw the previous night opened on the mega screen. The bracket was a mirror image of the one that held their names the previous night but it was facing the other direction. The large screen showed twelve names that neither himself nor Aerith recognized.

Living Death  
Big Hitman  
Metal Man  
Nightfox  
Shockwave  
Black Shadow  
Tradewind  
Beast Whisperer  
Longshot Overkill  
White Widow  
5th Gunman  
Stone Heart

All of the names appeared to be made up; Cloud internally told himself again that he should have thought of a made-up name for themselves.

“Any of those jump out at you?”

Aerith asked Cloud if he recognized anyone from the screen.

“Not really, I think most of these fighters are trying to promote themselves. All of them seem to be projecting their abilities into their identity. We really should have made something up when we entered our names into the tournament but it’s too late to back out now.”

Cloud inwardly ran the thought through his head and considered it ridiculous:

(“What would they call us anyway? Flower girl and big sword boy?”)

Aerith looked downcast at Cloud’s suggestion of wanting to hide their real names and took his hand in hers, trying to soothe his concern.

“We’ll be ok.”

Cloud looked back at her, his face softened.

“Yeah………. we will.”

“Let’s get ready to rumble!”

The music had kicked on again as two fighters entered the ring from either side of the arena.

“Ladies and gentlemen! It is our very own fan favorite with a record of forty-two wins and twenty-three losses, give it up for your hometown hero: Metal Man!”

The lights went out again with the spotlight highlighting the first participant as the noise level grew with the music.

The crowd roared with approval to the introduction of the well-known gladiator.

A man whose appearance was well hidden walked into the middle of the circular terrain and raised his arms to take in all of the affection being cast down upon him. His physical features appeared to be of regular size and weight, he wasn’t tall but wasn’t exactly short either; it was difficult to tell because of all the metal armor that was covering his body from head to toe.

Metal Man’s outfit was functional but poorly put together, his armor appeared to be homemade and carried many marks of battle damage as he was a common fighter that took place in many battles. He held a long spear in one hand and looked to have a gun holstered at his side that was a backup weapon of sorts.

Cloud acknowledged the poor man’s version of a knight and took a look at the second fighter on the opposite end of the floor.

His gaze was interrupted by someone walking nearby.

“Place your bets on Metal Man today? Anyone here interested in three to one odds that Metal Man advances?”

A stadium attendant with a money pouch and a handheld device was walking up and down the rows, asking guests in the balcony seating area if they were interested in the latest bets that had just opened to the public.

“I’ll take that bet!”

“Me too!”

Several people sitting nearby jumped at the chance to make extra Gil.

“Now I know why this tournament is so important. The upper class in Wall Market must be making a fortune from all of the gambling.”

Cloud whispered lowly to Aerith who nodded; they kept their attention towards the arena and ignored the attendant taking bets close by.

The cheering simmered as Scotch and Kotch introduced the other fighter in the arena.

“And let’s hear some noise for our newest fighter on the block. A powerful yet mysterious warrior who takes no prisoners! With a record of one win and zero losses; the Nightfox!”

Scattered applause met the introduction of the new fighter, the fans in the Coliseum didn’t show that much interest in someone new to their violent rituals.

The Nightfox’s appearance was the polar opposite of Metal Man’s; not being able to tell if it was a man or woman behind the cloth mask and goggles; Cloud summed up that this fighter preferred to use speed and reflexes over the advantage of armor unlike the opponent on the other end of the floor. The rest of the outfit consisted of light clothing with hardly any protection to form a barrier from physical blows.

(“We dress the same way though, there might be more than meets the eye here.”)

The Nightfox also held a spear in one hand; although this weapon appeared more deadly than Metal Man’s. It was double-sided with sharp-looking spikes that stuck out in three directions on both ends. The fighter also had a utility backpack on that obviously held more destructive gear inside.

The two fighters met in the center of the circular floor and bowed graciously to one another, Cloud thought this was a sign that the fight had a chance to be civil.

“They have made their introductions! Warriors prepare yourselves for battle!”

The cheering and applause continued as the fighters walked to opposite ends of the lower circle.

“At the sound of the gong, you may begin!”

A small man walked up to the gong with the same white mallet that Cloud recognized from the previous day.

The gong was struck.

The sounds and cheers of the crowd echoed throughout the beginning of the match. Aerith and Cloud watched in amazement as the Nightfox leaped off the ground with strong acrobatic ability and brought down blow after blow into the armor that protected Metal Man.

The loud thuds could be heard from all around the coliseum, the metal clashing on metal echoed through the stadium.

The armor was doing its job well and Metal Man kept his balance against the rain of blows.

“That was a great jump! I give it a nine out of ten!”

Scotch was giving his play by play from the start.

The fan-favorite recovered without incident from the hits and tried to take a fast horizontal swing back at Nightfox who ducked under the spear with great agility while staying on his/her feet.

The crowd gasped and shouted at the moves on display before them.

Nightfox ran in fast circles around Metal Man who stood ready for the next assault with his spear held in both hands for a prepared counter-attack.

“Look at them go! That is some crazy speed right there Kotch!”

Kotch agreed and shouted with his co-announcer.

“I’m getting dizzy just looking at them!”

Aerith was gasping at all the action and asked Cloud a question while trying to keep her eyes towards the match.

“What do you think that fast fighter will do next?”

Cloud didn’t look back at her but answered her question by turning his mouth towards her ears while speaking up over the noise.

“Nightfox has Metal Man right where he needs to be for a stronger blow. He is on the defensive and I think something else unexpected is going to happen soon.”

Almost speaking it into existence; Nightfox pulled a small item from his/her pocket and dropped it at the floor.

Smoke had started to envelop both fighters in the circle. The effect it had was strong cover from the crowd as no one could see what was happening down below.

“And we have our first smokescreen of the tournament!”

Kotch and Scotch admired the fight happening below.

Sounds of metal hitting metal intensified below, loud cries of pain echoed through the hazy filed arena as confused cheers for both fighters sprinkled around the crowd.

After a short time, gunfire started going off. The audience held their collective breath at the sound of the gun being fired.

When the smokescreen finally cleared several minutes later the entire audience gasped at the sight.

Metal Man was down on his face and he was not getting up.

Nightfox was breathing heavily with blood running down one arm but otherwise appeared to be capable to continue the fight.

Taking a few seconds to collect themselves Kotch and Scotch finally broke in:

“Ladies and Gentlemen what an upset! We can’t believe it! Nightfox is the winner!”

There were more than enough boos and shouts of anger to contest the cheers and applause that surrounded the arena floor. Many citizens sitting next to Cloud and Aerith shouted their disapproval:

“That was a rigged fight! Come on!”

“What a joke! Metal Man should have crushed that little runt!”

“You asshole! You cost me a fortune! I hope you get killed in the next match!”

As the mixed reactions moved through the stadium; medical staff ran over to the fallen fighter and put him on a gurney that would take him back to the hospital wing nearby.

The giant tournament bracket showed back up on the screens and placed Nightfox in the next column. 

Aerith let out a heavy breath and looked back at Cloud as people stood up and walked away from their seats.

“Well, that was certainly exciting. What did you think?”

Cloud definitely thought the fight was interesting, what made him happier at this moment though was the company he was sharing this experience with. Pushing his distracted mind out of the way he focused himself before speaking.

“I think we had better be prepared for the unexpected.”

Aerith smiled and probed deeper:

“What does that mean?”

Cloud was ready for her question.

“A lot of people here thought Metal Man was the stronger fighter; he had the experience, armor, and most of the crowd on his side. He was basically fighting with some kind of home-field advantage but Nightfox was more cunning, faster, smarter, and was using his/her wits. That fast-thinking made Nightfox the winner against bigger odds.”

Aerith kept her smile and tilted her head at Cloud’s thinking.

“You know a lot about fighting don’t you?”

The mercenary kept a straight face.

“I know enough from what I’ve seen inside and outside of Midgar. Fighting is just like any other skill, you do it enough and you become good at it.”

The flower girl was ready for more.

“Awww, you're being modest again Cloud, we have some free time before the next round. Should we go back to the Inn for your sword or stick around and wait for the next fight?”

Cloud was actually very comfortable in the stands with Aerith at his side, he thought about how crowded the streets would be and knew they would miss at least one if not two of the next matches if they left now. Plus, he was enjoying himself, he didn’t see the need to leave yet.

“I’m good with staying here if that’s what you want to do too.”

Aerith giggled at the blonde’s answer. She made Cloud’s cheeks flush with color as she laid her head on his shoulder without warning before giving her reply.

“If that’s what you want. Let’s stay for now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Cloud and Aerith develop feelings for one another faster than in the original timeline? Stay tuned. Thanks for reading! Feedback is always welcome :)
> 
> Goodnight everybody.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Aerith move forward with the challenges and surprises of Wall Market as the tournament continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a few liberties in this chapter. I had meant for this series to be fun and light-hearted but so far there has been a lot of fluff and a lot of drama. Either way, I hope everybody enjoys this work and I thank you for reading it!

Wall Market was abuzz with crowded restaurants, overflowing bars, streets reaching their pedestrian limits, and hotels that were past one hundred percent capacity.

The second night of Don Corneo’s tournament of champions would soon feature the next round of group combatants.

As the sun faded and darkness crept into the heart of Midgar’s criminal underground; the scenery around the HoneyBee Inn was moving as fast as the dancers that took the stage every night for their performances.

After watching most of the solo matches together, Cloud and Aerith had left the Coliseum to return to the HoneyBee Inn for Cloud’s sword.

Aerith almost got swept away while grabbing onto Cloud’s arm for protection from all the chaos in the lobby.

“This is kind of exciting!”

Noting Aerith’s typical lighthearted behavior had caused Cloud to look back at her smiling face as he spoke up over the crowd.

“Yeah, let’s just go get my sword so we can head back for our next match, if you ask me there are too many people here.”

Cloud had turned his face away and just missed Aerith pouting.

Navigating past the crowd of people looking for vacancies in the main entryway was difficult but after making it to the stairs, the power couple went up to their room and stepped inside without incident.

“Phew, I’ve heard lots of stories about the nightlife here but I never pictured Wall Market being this busy, even with something like the tournament of champions happening.”

The flower girl had sat down on her bed, she looked like she was ready to rest again, and Cloud disapproved as he had just put his sword onto his back.

Cloud was ready to go back downstairs again; he didn’t need to rest.

“We should be getting back to the arena, are you ready to go?”

Aerith knew they had a little time to kill, she also had something on her mind she wanted to talk about.

“Why not take a break for a minute Cloud? I promise we won’t be late for our fight; we have a few hours.”

Cloud knew they had at least three hours before their fight, but he wanted to get there as soon as possible. The other matches starting before theirs would be useful research if they could watch the other fighters battle, there was so much information to take in.

The way Aerith was looking at him made it hard to say no to her though, it was almost like she was searching for something he couldn’t quite place.

The mercenary sighed out loud and gave in.

“Ok, we can sit for a few minutes.”

Putting his sword back against the wall had caused Aerith to let out a small cheer of happiness as Cloud sat down on his bed. 

The flower girl immediately jumped up and sat next to him with no hesitation, which made Cloud shift uncomfortably as a response.

Cloud had an attraction for Aerith, he wanted to enjoy her closeness but simply did not know how to act. How was he supposed to respond to this woman’s lack of personal space?

Deciding that she must have sat too close by accident, Cloud tried to shift his body further towards the edge of his bed to give a small gap between himself and his partner.

Aerith automatically scooted closer confirming she wanted to be close to him before asking her first question. She paid no attention to his attempts to create space between the two of them.

“How did you meet Tifa?”

Cloud was not expecting that as the conversation starter, nevertheless, he answered:

“Ummmm, we were neighbors when we were kids, we both grew up in Nibelheim.”

Aerith was looking at Cloud’s eyes closely with her adorable, lighthearted expression. She looked like she had a strong interest in Cloud’s answers as she went to her next question.

“So, you two were close then?”

Cloud had snapped out of his gaze; he had gotten distracted by how close Aerith’s face was to his.

“No, we were friends when we were younger. Nothing more.”

Aerith was curious.

“So, you two aren’t friends now?”

Cloud realized he was messing up horribly.

“Yes, we are, sorry I’m just trying to think straight here.”

Aerith’s curiosity increased.

“Is Tifa special to you Cloud? Do you have feelings for her?”

The blonde almost fell over.

“No.”

Aerith held in a giggle.

“Are you sure? That sounded a little guilty to me mister.”

Cloud knew Aerith was teasing like she normally did but he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea.

“Tifa and I have never been more than friends, there was a long time where we didn’t talk but after I made it back to Midgar we saw each other again. She’s in trouble and I want to make sure she gets back to sector seven safe. It’s nothing other than that.”

Aerith put her happy face away, she knew better than to keep teasing Cloud for why they were in Wall Market together. She was simply curious about his feelings, she knew deep inside that Cloud’s mission was to help his friend, he wasn’t thinking about anything romantic.

As this thought went through her mind, something else came to fruition.

Aerith decided to be bold for a minute, she turned Cloud’s face towards hers and put both hands on his shoulders. 

She shifted her body to lean over him while the bodyguard slowly pulled himself back. Their faces were practically touching as Cloud stared at her because of this.   
“Whoa----”

Aerith interrupted with an interesting question.

“Are you happy I’m here with you?”

There was no trickery or games with the sentence that was spoken, Aerith stared deeply into Cloud’s eyes and held herself still to see what he would tell her.

This was not a typical situation for either of them to be in, Aerith was more capable of handling intimacy than Cloud was but she knew the difference between approaching a line and crossing it as she had asked her question.

The two of them were in a very compromising position together before Cloud finally cleared his throat so he could give the answer that was taking him way too long to say out loud. 

“……………………yeah.”

The mercenary of sector seven felt his entire body seize up as emotions he didn’t understand at all rattled his nerves of steel. He almost thought something unexpected was about to happen.

Aerith was leaning into him, they were both on his bed together not sitting up straight, and if someone else had walked into their room right now…….it certainly looked like they would be interrupting.

Cloud knew he better get his heart rate back to normal or else Aerith was going to feel his pulse vibrating strongly beneath his shirt.

The blonde SOLDIER didn’t dare ask the question that came to mind out loud.  
(“Why is she looking at me like that?”)

Just as Cloud was terrified something else was going to happen the whole scene simmered down as Aerith bounced back onto her feet and walked over to her bed before sitting on it again.

“Awww, that makes me happy. Thank You, Cloud.”

She looked quite cheerful considering their conversation had been awkward to him. 

Cloud now fully realized he didn’t understand women.

-

As the nightlife continued around the streets of Wall Market; a lone fighter approached the decorated gates of the Corneo Mansion which stood tall over the lights that illuminated the sector of squalor.

The masked fighter knocked at the main gate and waited.

(“This shouldn’t take long.”)

The large metal barriers opened and revealed a dimly lit walking path.

Traveling up to the first of many doors, the fighter knocked a second time to enter the mansion, a group of thugs greeted the visitor at the doorway through a slot in the door.

“What is it?”

The White Widow answered the question with confidence.

“I am here to visit Corneo, he is expecting me.”

There was a shuffling of feet and a few orders being yelled behind the door, after a few seconds the inner door leading into the mansion had opened and the guards parted to let the lone adventurer walk further into the grounds.

“Follow the guide to the Don’s study, don’t touch anything or wander anywhere else or you’ll regret it.”

As the guide walked the visitor to the Don’s personal study, the main foyer showcased many crates that housed various valuables.

There were boxes of gold bricks lying all over the floor, they looked like they were in the middle of being unloaded. Next to the boxes of precious metal was a large crate of weapons that held every kind of rifle known to the Shinra military in Midgar, still, as the guide led the fighter up to the study even more boxes of Gil, jewelry and art were scattered across the main entry staircases.

(“There must be a lot of inventory entering and leaving the sector five underground this week.”) 

The White Widow kept this thought to herself as she climbed the staircase that led to the Don’s personal study.

“The Don will see you now.”

The guide had bowed and pointed to a small room at the end of a nearby hall.

Walking into the study had made the grandiose entryway fade to the back of her mind as Don Corneo stood up from his desk and held out both arms in a happy welcome.

“My prized pick for the tournament!”

Scotch and Kotch were nowhere to be seen, they were stationed at the Coliseum for the entirety of the day as sector five’s favorite announcers of mayhem.

A lone Shinra Turk stood in the background of the room, he did not speak up or acknowledge his presence when the visitor had entered the study.

Walking up to the Don made the fighter’s stomach clench in disgust.

“How are you after that last match against the other one? What was his name? Longshot something? Oh well, doesn’t matter, you wiped him out really good, didn’t you?!”

The Don was laughing jovially, and his belly was jiggling with the cheerful nature of the conversation, he must have made a lot of Gil off the match.

“Those were some insane betting odds! Eight to one! I couldn’t believe how eager the bookies were to dump those odds in my lap, I knew you were going to win though, there’s something special about you! Everyone was betting on Longshot! His experience was supposed to win easily but little did anyone know my pick was better!”

The fighter knew she had entered the Don’s mansion for one request; not wanting to get talked over the entire night, she made her point known.

“You know why I’m here; it doesn’t have anything to do with the prize money.”

The Don had waved this off with one hand and turned around with a playful smile.

“Yes Yes, I remember my dear, you wanted something only the Don could provide, well fear not and let not your heart be troubled.”

The Don knew what needed to be done to convince the White Widow that he was serious about her participation in the tournament. 

Corneo spun around as he reached the edge of his desk, he opened the box that was placed in public view for anyone in the room to see. The contents of the box were clearly visible.

As the White Widow gasped loudly and raised an arm to take a closer look the lid on the box was slammed shut………...hard.

The Don had an angry look on his face.

“Now now, I don’t know what you need this for, but I can guarantee you the cost is not cheap for this kind of information.”

The fighter sighed and stared right into Corneo’s angry face.

“I will win the tournament for you, then I will come back here, and you will give me that box. You seem like a trusty businessman.”

The Don broke into a smile and walked up close to the fighter.

He held out his hand.

“And you look like a powerful fighter that is going to make me a ton of Gil before the end of tomorrow.”

The White Widow removed her mask and kissed Corneo’s ring to signal her acceptance of the deal. The agreement was simple, when the Widow defeated the opponents in the final match, the box on Corneo’s desk was hers to keep.

The whole setup was simple enough, but could she actually win? That remained to be seen.

-

“Alrighty then, shall we go?”

Aerith knew it was time to walk down as they had already wasted their first hour sitting and talking, Cloud thought their break in the room had lasted long enough.

(“It’s a shame we have to fight tonight though; wish we could spend more time together.”)

Cloud secretly wished he could have spent more time with Aerith as she had begun to dig deeper into his background so she could grow closer with him.

Shaking off the feeling of companionship, Cloud put his sword onto his back and walked over to the door.

“Yeah, we should get back in time to see at least one or two matches before we have to fight in ours. If the officials will let us watch the others, if not then we will get some time to sit in the waiting area at least.”

Aerith smiled as Cloud opened the door to the stairwell. Her smile disappeared as she saw the person standing on the other side of it.

Elmyra was in front of the door with her arms crossed.

She did not look happy at all, she looked like words that were the opposite of happy; angry, frustrated, enraged perhaps furious? Those were words that described what Elmyra looked like.

Cloud would have fought every opponent in the Coliseum at the same time rather than stand in front of Elmyra as he was doing right now. Before either one of the guilty fighters could speak, Aerith’s mom cut in:

“Cloud, go downstairs please, I need to have a talk with my daughter……………alone.”

Cloud knew better than to say anything against this.

“Yes ma’am.”

Aerith wanted to signal that she would be right behind him, she never showed fear around other people, but this was a situation that required delicate feelings. Her mom was more than just disappointed in her, she was angry too.

The bodyguard had started walking down the steps and looked back at Aerith with a concerned face as Aerith was closing the door. She gave him a non-verbal look that told him not to worry and made it look like she was going to be ok.

Cloud’s heart was still full of regret and shame as he waited outside the front door of the Honeybee Inn.

-

“I know you have a lot of freedom Aerith, but I can’t believe you would do something like this. Leaving home in the middle of the night so you could go fight in the matches at Wall Market with someone you just met?!”

Aerith sat with her head in her hands, she was sitting on her bed while Elmyra was pacing the room.

They were not having a pleasant conversation.

“Sweetheart how am I supposed to know what has happened so far?! You have been gone for almost three days?! No Note?! Not even a hey mom I need to go help a friend! You could have told me anything!”

Aerith kept her head in her hands as she moved her eyes to look in the direction of her mom’s face. As her stepmom showed deep disappointment in Aerith; the interrogation continued:

“Why are you sharing a room?”

The flower girl sighed again.

“This place is booked solid because of the tournament happening at the Coliseum, we were lucky enough to get one room before all of this started, there was no way we were going to get two. Come on mom, you know me enough to know nothing like that happened.”

Elmyra glared deeply at Aerith.

Aerith stared right back. She was regaining her confidence.

“There are two beds here in case you were trying to accuse me of something!”

Elmyra wasn’t backing down.

“I told him to leave you alone, this was all his doing wasn’t it?”

Aerith stood up, she looked shocked and dismayed.

“You did what?! Mom, what did you say to him?”

Elmyra held her eyes steady as she explained what she saw in Cloud to Aerith.

“You should be staying away from people like him honey, those SOLDIER eyes are dangerous, nothing good can come from you getting closer together. In the end, I will find you in the same place again.”

Elmyra had tried to keep her voice steady as she hugged Aerith but lost control for a minute while she finished her sentence.

“Crying in your room writing those letters.”

Aerith shed a tear from this but she wasn’t going to give up on Cloud.

“This is not the same person mom; I know who Cloud is deep down inside and everything here is different.”

Holding her daughter in her arms, Elmyra gave her rebuttal with carefully thought out words.

“This looks the same to me, sweetheart, I am worried about you being left alone after getting your hopes up. I don’t want you to be in pain.”

Elmyra was trying to stay strong for her daughter. She backed up to look at her while she continued.

“You deserve to be in love, but I want someone better for you, someone, who isn’t fighting for power. A normal life that can bring you happiness without the suffering that comes from sacrifice.”

The flower girl took a deep breath; she wasn’t finished with her inner struggles.

“I haven’t met anyone who understands me more than Cloud does mom. No one else looks at the flowers the way he does, nobody stops to speak to the children the way he does, I’ve seen the way he fights for others, there is so much passion in his movements, so much care.”

Elmyra was looking at Aerith’s eyes as she described her partner’s characteristics.

“He doesn’t fight for the fame or the glory, or even the money. He fights because he loves the people he cares about. I promise you he would fight every other person on the planet just to protect me, I feel that way about him already. I’m not ashamed to be here with him either, he needs my help just as much as I need to help him.”

After tempers had flared on both sides, Elmyra settled her anger and sat down with Aerith, she took her daughter’s body in a side hug before speaking again.

“I know you aren’t my little girl anymore, I know you have so much to offer the world and that I shouldn’t treat you like a child, hell I was married at your age Aerith but…………...”

Aerith was waiting for the rest of her mom’s thought.

“………...But I wish you would have trusted me enough to tell me what you were going to do. Why did you run away from home so you could be with this boy? He might not be who you think he is hon.”

There was an answer to this line of reasoning.

“Mom, Cloud is exactly who I think he is and if you give him some time, I think you will find out what I mean.”

Aerith stood back up to stretch her arms and loosen her frustration, she took a deep breath before continuing.

“I have seen the way he acts around others; the way he talks to me even when I annoy him to no end. There is so much kindness and care in him, he’s fighting to save his friend even though it’s against impossible odds, he is fighting to help the resistance against Shinra even though they don’t stand a chance.”

Elmyra was looking deeply at her daughter’s face, she didn’t interrupt.

“He has such a wonderful heart and I want to get to know him more, I think you would love him if you spent more time together, and he’s such a gentleman. I’ve made a move on him at least twice and both times he didn’t do anything about it…………...such a gentleman.”

This caused a small eruption.

“AERITH!”

The flower girl shot back at her mom:

“I promise nothing happened!”

Elmyra thought long and hard about what Aerith had just told her, through the argument earlier about them being in sector five to save Tifa to the argument about being in a room together to the argument about Cloud’s behavior and personality…………….

It seemed her mom could be won over, at least for now.

“I want you both to come back to the house when this is all over, I need to learn more about the young man that has captured so much of your attention.”

Aerith had a huge smile on her face as she hugged her mom.

There were a few more thoughts on her mother’s mind.

“Aerith, you are both grown adults now, don’t think you have to listen to your mother simply because I’m worried sick about where you are. Just please tell me if you are going to run away again in the middle of the night. At least a note next time, while I don’t know who Cloud is, I know you care about him, and if he cares about you the same way I will give him a chance.”

Aerith’s heart was flowing with happiness at Elmyra’s words, she thought of something else before she rushed back downstairs to join Cloud again.

“How did you find us, mom?”

Elmyra smiled and asked another question:

“Does it bother you that I can so easily find where you went?”

Aerith frowned at that, Elmyra simply pulled a piece of paper out of a pocket in her apron.

It was a pamphlet about the tournament, Cloud and Aerith’s names were on one side listed with the other group combatants.

“Everyone back home is talking about the fights in the Coliseum. After I walked into Wall Market I asked around, it wasn’t that hard to trace you here to the Honeybee Inn. A mother will always find her children.”

Aerith let out a sigh as she examined the tournament ad in her hands.

“Cloud knew using our real names was a bad idea, I am such an idiot.”

Elmyra hugged her daughter again before speaking:

“You are so special honey; I am just worried about you. Don’t feel that you have disappointed me here, I don’t want you to fight but if that’s what you need to do to save another friend I won’t get in the way.”

Aerith let her emotions out as she embraced her mom.

“Thank You mom; we will come back I promise.”

-

As people walked all around Cloud, he felt like he was the loneliest person in all of Midgar. Walking away from Aerith’s house the night he left sector five had felt similar to the sensations of shame that were coursing through his body in this moment. 

He had failed to live up to the expectations that were set by Elmyra, she had asked him to do one thing and he failed at it miserably.

(“Promise me, you’ll never speak to Aerith again.”)

His response had not been elegant or powerful in any way.

(“You got it.”)

Not only did he break his word, but he had also let her take him to Wall Market, he was a damn fool and couldn’t see how he would ever spend any time with Aerith ever again.

The reality of the situation made him disgusted with himself. A part of him told his subconscious to go to the Coliseum without her.

“This was my fight; I should have kept Aerith out of it. Why did I let her come with me? Why didn’t I just go back to sector seven alone? Why couldn’t I tell her no?”

The way Aerith talked to other people had captured him, her ability to soothe his worries made him feel like he needed to learn more about her. 

The way she described her inner struggles with life and all living things had been intriguing. There was so much to learn about with her, Cloud knew he wanted to know Aerith more and try to understand why she was so interested in him.

He realized as this thought ran through his mind that he had been so selfish, it wasn’t his right to be around her, especially if her mother had told him to stay away.

Cloud made up his mind, he was going to go to the Coliseum alone. He hoped Aerith would forgive him, but this wasn’t her fight, he was going to follow Elmyra’s wishes now and hoped one day he would see both of them again.

Just as he struggled to start walking away from the Honeybee Inn, a hand reached out to grab him by the shoulder.

Elmyra must have finished talking to Aerith.

Cloud was surprised to see her.

“Why are you doing this?”

Elmyra asked the first question, Cloud looked dumbfounded.

“What?”

Aerith’s mom looked annoyed, she asked her question differently.

“Why are you fighting here with my daughter? What does she mean to you?”

Cloud wasn’t a man that was good with words, he knew he had better get over this shortcoming quick or he was going to screw this up a second time.

“I am here to save a friend of mine that is in trouble, I can do it alone. Aerith does not have to come with me.”

Elmyra smiled, maybe he was doing ok after all.

“Aerith told me she wants to keep fighting with you. I tried to talk her out of it, but I could never get her to do what I wanted when she was growing up.”

Cloud was puzzled. What was this conversation about?

Elmyra knew that Cloud was having a hard time making the connection. She continued with her explanation.

“You know she isn’t my real daughter; I think you have both gotten closer since she left home a while ago in the middle of the night.”

Cloud winced at this; he was ready for more of a verbal onslaught.

“Yeah---”

He was interrupted and wasn’t expecting any type of physical contact, Elmyra grabbed onto one of Cloud’s hands. She held it inside of hers and made Cloud look her in the eyes.

“Promise me you’ll protect her; she is all I have left in the world.”

Cloud was floored, he responded immediately.

“Yes, I won’t let anything happen to her…………. I promise.”

Aerith’s mom looked tired, her face held the expression of someone struggling to trust the most precious person in her life to a complete stranger. Aerith’s words must have made an incredible impact on her because Cloud didn’t know why he was getting to fight with his partner again after everything that had happened.

“I’ll be waiting for you both back at the house when all of this is over, I had better see you there with her. Understand?”

Cloud simply nodded his head; he was still confused.

Elmyra let go of his hand without another word and walked away into the crowd of people. She was headed back towards sector five.

(“What the hell just happened?”)

Cloud asked himself all kinds of questions as Aerith’s mom faded out of view into the crowd. Just as the confusion built up in his head a familiar voice called out over the noise.

“Cloud!”

The voice sounded happy, not worried, not upset, not even anxious. Aerith ran up to her bodyguard with a big smile, Cloud wanted to know what had happened upstairs.

“Your mom just told me to protect you. Are you coming to the Coliseum with me?”

The flower girl kept her infectious smile on her face as she grabbed Cloud’s hand and ran off towards the arena.

“Of course! Let’s go! We need to get a move on!”

-

“You think we can trust her?”

The Shinra Turk was asking Corneo a delicate question as the crime lord almost spit out his drink.

“HA! Of course not, I trust nobody in this business, yourself included.”

The man in the suit merely smiled as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He typed several messages on his phone before slipping it back into his breast pocket.

“All is ready for the next phase of the tournament, is she the only entry that will cash out at maximum value?”

Corneo hummed as he checked his ledger.

“There is nobody else who will payout at those odds on the individual side but there are some fighters on the group side that are intriguing, that florist and swordsman are certainly interesting but let’s see how the next round of matchups go before odds are placed on anyone from that side of the bracket.”

The Turk from Shinra nodded and was taking mental notes in his head.

“I believe they are set up to fight Beck’s Badasses in the next round correct?”

Corneo pulled out a cigar, he spun around in his chair.

“Yes, those fighters are always known for their dirty tactics, they have a lot more wins to their names then they have deserved but my money is on the new couple. Those two look much stronger than anyone gives them credit for, I’m going to pay close attention to that fight on my screen when it happens.”

The Shinra employee was pulling a pouch from his suit pocket, he placed the small parcel on the Don’s desk.

“We have concluded this round of our business; my clients are always interested to know where I get my information, but I know you value silence over anything else in your life.”

Corneo chuckled and showed no concern.

“The typical deposit will be found in your account with a bonus for your cooperation in these matters.”

The Don took the small parcel and put it in his safe before looking back at the Turk with a strong face.

“Remember who owns the banks that your employer pays you with, you’re valuable but no one is replaceable.”

The suit from Shinra scoffed as he walked out of the Don’s study.

-

Cloud and Aerith were jogging through the entryway as they reached the main elevator that would take them down into the lower levels. They had about half an hour before their match would start, they could only go down to the waiting area and wait for their names to be called now.

Through all the rush to get back to the arena, Cloud hadn’t had the chance to ask Aerith how she changed her mother’s mind.

“What did you say to your mom?”

Aerith started smiling as she thought about teasing Cloud again.

“My mom wanted to know why I was here with you. She had some concern about me spending time with you alone, but I was able to convince her you were someone that can be trusted to protect me.”

The mercenary was at a loss for words; he decided to stop being careful and just spit out what he was thinking.

“Do you trust me to protect you?”

Cloud wasn’t known for being subtle, Aerith found herself surprised by this new side of her bodyguard and tried not to blush.

“Yes. Always.”

The elevator opened and the power couple went to the waiting area to await their next fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can Cloud keep his promise? I think he will do everything in his power to keep from letting Elmyra down! I enjoyed writing a chapter from her perspective. This story has been a lot of fun so far. Goodnight everyone!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Aerith learn more about each other and fight in the quarter-finals of the tournament. Will their determination overcome the powerful opponents they face in the ring?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had actually meant for this to be a quick and easy story about Cloud and Aerith's time in Wall Market together from an Alternate Universe perspective. I have found it harder to keep the updates going as time has gone on but this one was exciting to write! Sorry to keep everyone waiting so long for this chapter, enjoy!

The crowd's cheers and shouts of praise echoed through the massive structure as Cloud and Aerith jogged from the elevator to the main gate's queue line.

Kyle hollered over the distant noise as the swordsman and florist flew into the waiting space.

"Hey, where have you two been?! Your match is starting soon! Talk about waiting till the last minute!"

As Cloud and Aerith tried to ignore the nearby criticism, the flower girl simply giggled at the evening's turn of events as her bodyguard stood silent with his arms crossed.

Kotch and Scotch's commentary could be heard through the large metal barrier as the chaos and carnage of the nighttime battles were taking place.

"Woah! Tell me that guy is still alive?! He might be down for the count forever!"

The spectating mob could be heard cheering a decisive blow that might have resulted in a fatality out in the circle ring.

Cloud decided it would be better to get his worries out of his head before going into battle with his partner; he wanted to at least say what was bothering him before having to fight in the next round.

"I'm sorry about the situation I got you into; I shouldn't have let you fight with me, Aerith."

The florist's response was quick, and to the point, she looked Cloud right back in the face.

"Cloud………... If you apologize one more time about us fighting together, I am going to hit you with my staff."

That settled the issue; the swordsman knew he wouldn't have to pursue the subject of Elmyra again unless Aerith brought it up; she was a very strong woman. It must have taken a lot of strength and determination for her to overcome her mother's hesitation about being in his company.

Not letting his thoughts slip to regrets any longer, the mercenary asked Kyle when their fight was going to begin.

"How much time is left before we start?"

The gatekeeper looked annoyed but answered anyway.

"Soon as this current fight is over, they will clean up the field and let you both enter. I'd say no more than five or ten minutes, depending on how many are left right now. This is the group bracket, so fights typically last longer. Don't get impatient; I don't think you two rookies are going to make it through the next round anyway."

Cloud glared at Kyle as he said this. Aerith carried a hurt look on her face as well.

Kyle did not react to their looks; he had seen this type of behavior before.

"Hey, don't get offended by my opinion, I've seen it all, SOLDIERS from the military, mercenaries, thugs, criminal warlords, assassins, hell I even saw a Turk from Shinra once in disguise."

The gatekeeper kept a straight face as he addressed the young fighters standing in front of him.

"All of the talent in the world gets chewed up and spit out in the arena, and you two are far from capable of advancing deep into the bracket. You look tough, but tough won't cut it here."

Aerith shot her response back at the arena employee before Cloud was able to say anything.

"We are going to win this tournament together! You have never seen a team as strong and committed as these two people right here! We are going to have you watch us the whole way, so get used to our faces!"

Cloud held in his admiration as he watched Aerith's confidence soar once she had been told she wasn't strong enough for the tournament. This amazing girl was getting more and more incredible the longer he spent time with her.

Kyle still wasn't convinced but chuckled after the short speech.

"If you say so."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, WE HAVE A WINNER!"

The pandemonium nearby had reached an all-time high; the roaring of the excited spectators must have meant the nearby battle had come to an end.

"And with an astounding victory, the winners of the battle are THE POWERHANDS!"

A lot of cheering sounded over the arena with mixtures of praise as the Powerhands made their way back to the arena's exit. Cloud and Aerith stood nearby and waited for the gladiators to leave before taking their previous spot back by the gate's front.

The group that had achieved victory was made up of two men and one woman. They were all wearing different weapons on their hands and arms similar to the gun-arm attachment Barret would have kept on his body. 

None of the attachments looked permanent. It all appeared to be sophisticated technology connected to their bodies for their participation in the tournament. They looked powerful as they walked away…………………. extremely powerful.

Kyle received a signal for the next match to start; he looked up at the other fighting duo standing nearby.

"Your next match won't be an easy one; this group is known for their tricks, so good luck out there. I know you won't win but at least try not to get yourselves killed; you are both a nice enough looking couple. Hate to see either of you lose the other."

Aerith thought it was funny that Cloud didn't correct Kyle's mistake of calling them a "couple." Her inner reasoning processed it as humorous because the label had meant to say they were romantically involved, and Cloud didn't seem to mind accepting that public opinion as fact. The flower girl wondered if she should tease him for it after the match, but such worries needed to be put in the back of her mind. The time had come to look forward.

As the bodyguard walked with his partner to the center of the circular arena, the two fighters were greeted with more cheers than boos as the filled stadium roared at the announcement of their arrival.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are in for a treat! Give it up for our lovely power couple with a boundless love for bloodshed! With a record of 1-0, we have CLOUD AND AERITH!"

The cheers continued as the boos faded with several shots of encouragement ringing out from the excited crowd in the stands.  
"You are both so cool! Hey Cloud! Look at me! Over here!"

"Aerith! Your magic is amazing! I can't wait to see you cast more spells!"

"How do you carry that giant sword everywhere?! You're the man Cloud!"  
The cheers started to dwindle as more compliments could be heard in the distance. Cloud stood still as Aerith awkwardly waved towards some of the crowd while they both waited for their opponents.

The music in the arena had changed to heavy metal as the lights went dark and a spotlight shined towards the other side of the floor.

Kotch and Scotch were both extremely excited as Scotch made the next announcement:

"My fellow lovers of mayhem! THEY'RE HERE! The thugs of sector five that are known for their brass tactics and cunning deception! A strong record of 57 – 12 here in the Coliseum, our very own BEC K'S BADASSES!"

The crowd roared with excitement as three strangely familiar figures walked towards Cloud and Aerith.

"Hey! It's those guys!"

Aerith pointed with surprise at the three thugs that lined up in front of them. They were the same criminals who tried to rob them near the campfire outside the playground near the sector seven gates. Before they got knocked out……...

The shortest man pointed towards the flower girl and said the same line back to her.

"Hey! It's those guys!"

-

"Hey boss, we have a pit manager asking for your approval."

One of the Don's associates was on the phone nearby. He had poked his head into Corneo's study as the crime lord of sector five was looking at a giant monitor. The fights of the Coliseum were displayed on the large screen.

"What's the request?"

The criminal laid out the details in short order.

"Beck's Badasses want to increase their odds in the match by adding nine members to the fight. The field team won't approve without your say so."  
Corneo looked down for a second and stroked his chin with his hand as he pondered what the approval would do for the match. He chuckled as he made his decision.

"Tell them the Don approves, let's see just how powerful that swordsman and mysterious girl are, I think we are in for one hell of a show tonight."

As the associate left the room, the same Turk from Shinra had emerged from the shadows to stand next to the Don. They were both watching the giant screen in front of the crime lord as the device switched to real-time action.

"You sure you know what you're doing?"

The wealthy boss just laughed.

"We will find out soon, won't we?"

-

"Hey, that's cheating!"

Aerith pointed at the additional fighters joining the original three lined up in front of the power couple.

"It appears ladies and gentlemen, that there are actually twelve members of Beck's Badasses!"

There was pandemonium in the crowd; half of the spectators cheered at the reveal of the larger group forming in the arena. The other half of the public booed at seeing Aerith and Cloud on the short end of what was a poorly constructed plot twist. The surprise was entirely unfair for anyone who had gambled on them to proceed.

"If the Don says it's ok, you have to suck it up and deal with it! The only rule is that there are no rules!"

That statement wasn't exactly correct as Cloud and Aerith had agreed to the three conditions mentioned earlier. It appeared Beck's Badasses didn't share the same agreement as to what the rules were. The addition of the rest of the enemy group felt like it seriously violated the second rule of the tournament.

The shouts went still for a minute as the entire Coliseum waited for a nearby announcement on the debated issue. An animated Don showed on the giant screen above. The cartoon had a calm posture before holding up a sign that read one word: OK!

The crowd once again roared with approval and disapproval as the match continued.

Scotch and Kotch yelled over the confusion as the gong was struck:

"The Don has granted his blessing! Let the battle commence!"

Aerith scoffed as she and Cloud pulled their weapons at the ready.

"Still cheating!"

The beginning of the match was typical for someone of Cloud's training against large groups of opponents. Knocking two of the bandits far from them with a spinning slash had caused several of the thugs to pull out pistols and fire bullets that Aerith blew away from them with a wind spell as she yelled for Cloud to duck.

The swordsman quickly got the message as a fire spell launched just over his head and connected with three of the thugs that screamed when the flame struck them.

Cloud had resumed his attack and knocked out another bandit with a sideswipe as the group started to dwindle beneath their offensive barrage.

The crowd was going crazy with the turn of events. Scotch and Kotch were beside themselves.

"I don't believe my eyes! Look at the two lovebirds go! They sure know how to handle those bandits, don't they?!"

People in the stands were chanting as the match was going Cloud and Aerith's way.

"Cloud!.............. Aerith! ………………. Cloud!..................... Aerith!"

Beck was feeling the pressure and yelled for the most massive bandit to run forward as he hustled behind him to use the big man as a human shield.

"No, you big oaf! GO THAT WAY!"

The most massive bandit started running straight towards Aerith at full speed. He knocked the dissipated wind current out of the way as it looked like he would tackle her small frame at top speed.

Kotch was screaming his commentary at the action.

"A freight train is about to connect with our magical girl Aerith! Can she get away?!"

Cloud realized he wasn't going to make it in time. He panicked as he ran full speed towards the flower girl, hoping he could help her, his thoughts turned to fear as something happened that completely caught him off guard.

Aerith summoned a spell so powerful it knocked Cloud off of his feet. There were vibrations throughout the dirt floor as blue magic surrounded her stance and movements that resembled a dance.

Something insanely strong touched down around Aerith. It resembled a lightning spell but did so much more damage the sensation that followed the spellcasting's strength felt like an earthquake. Cloud's eyes were wide as he stood back up slowly and realized the magical prowess of his partner.

"OH, MY GOODNESS! MY FELLOW LOVERS OF DESTRUCTION TAKE COVER! WE MIGHT NOT MAKE IT OUT OF HERE TONIGHT! WHAT A SPELL!"

Scotch filled in the crowd on the means of destruction that blew the giant off of his course and over to the other side of the field.

The captivated people all around cheered and screamed. The spell had gotten everyone on their feet, and the people of Wall Market yelled for more.

Beck was speechless as he trembled at Aerith's magic. Cloud got back up and ran towards the bandits' leader with his sword in hand as the remaining villains cowered away in the distance.

The remaining members of Beck's Badasses were banging their fists on the gate and screaming at the top of their lungs. Their weapons laid on the ground as none of them had the desire to continue the fight.

"Let us out of here! HEY! Open the gate!"

The opposing team leader threw down his weapon and landed on his knees just as the mercenary held up the buster sword.

"NO! Please! Have Mercy! We didn't mean to screw you over! Honest!"

The crowd yelled its approval as Cloud lifted his sword for a decisive blow. Beck had not made it back to the gate, and his weapon was held before Cloud stood over him, so the surrender came at a questionable time.

"FINISH HIM! GET HIM CLOUD! DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!"

The words of the crowd did nothing to influence the SOLDIER'S decision. When Aerith was in danger, something powerful came over the blonde's instincts as he felt rage building in every one of his movements. Cloud glared hauntingly with his mako eyes as he held the sword up for a vertical slash, something stopped him from taking the swing at his enemy.

"No."

Aerith had both of her hands on Cloud's bicep; the swordsman was confused. The flower girl had put away her staff and wasn't fighting anymore as she stared into her bodyguard's eyes.

Beck had tears of fear forming as he looked at the flower girl. He stayed still on his knees, not knowing what his fate was going to be. It was quite common for people to die in the Coliseum. The leading thug knew this fact as well as anyone else.

The gate had opened in the background, and the rest of the enemy group had finished their retreating surrender as Beck was left alone in the ring with unconscious members of the defeated group.

Cloud's sword was still in his hands as he asked Aerith what she was doing. His eyes moved in the direction of her disapproving face.

"They tried to kill us, Aerith, just a minute ago they were going to hurt you."

The girl from sector five didn't say anything for a few seconds as she shook her head with her eyes closed. She opened her emerald orbs of wisdom and looked back at Cloud with a face of extreme softness as she whispered carefully thought out words in his ears.

"You hold a person's life in your hands………. will you take it while he begs for you to spare him? Powerless to stop you? Can you live with yourself after making that choice? Please don't kill this man because he tried to hurt me. I don't want that kind of blood on either of our hands……………Cloud…………Please……… don't do this."

Aerith wasn't afraid of the fighting, or the scene formed in front of her as she spoke to her bodyguard. Her only concern was for Cloud's soul as the words were soothing, and she had made her point with the knowledge that they had already won their fight.

Cloud was struggling with the passion and fury of protecting his partner, someone who meant a great deal to him already in such a short amount of time. Wrath had come over his senses and had yet to dissolve as the fateful choice hung in the balance.

The mercenary still wasn't convinced. Aerith said one more thing before she let go of his arm.

"I know you are a better person than this…………I won't make the decision for you."

The cheering in the stands continued as Scotch and Kotch shouted above all the noise.

"Will the Don allow the surrender?! It was untimely! Let's see his decision on Beck's fate!"

On the giant screen, the Don's animated figure appeared the same way as before. At the same time, the crowd eagerly awaited Corneo's decision on the execution. The choice would supersede rule number three as everyone held their breath.

Two words showed on the jumbo screen above: Execution approved!

Beck whimpered in fear.

"WE ARE ABOUT TO WITNESS ANOTHER EXECUTION EVERYONE! GET READY!"

As the jubilant spectators shouted in approval of the death, Cloud had a whirlwind of emotions run through his head. Aerith had let go of his arm and backed away. She was waiting for Cloud to make his decision; her eyes stayed closed as she tilted her head towards the ground without moving. The flower girl stood still while holding one closed hand over her heart.

The SOLDIER didn't move as the screaming all around him continued. Every enraged spectator hollered louder and louder for Cloud to finish the enemy boss off as the suspense rose to an all-time high.

("I know you are a better person than this.")

Cloud realized Aerith believed in him, not only as a fighter but as a human being. He couldn't disappoint her trust. The mercenary from sector seven wouldn't betray the person that put her faith in him. The bodyguard dropped his sword to his side to boos and shouts of disapproval all around the arena.

He leaned over Beck with a furious glance on his face as he spoke clear words of instructions to his opponent.

"Get…………….out………. before I change my mind."

The words that came from the mako eyed fighter burned with rage as he told his opponent to get lost. His appearance was no less menacing as the buster sword was lowered.

Beck stumbled in agreement and took off running while cowering away to the gate, running as fast as his feet would carry him.

"And the winner of the match with an act of mercy to top it all off! CLOUD AND AERITH!"

There were scattered boos about the failed execution as the crowd cheered the power couple's official victory. Aerith was beaming as Cloud walked back over to her.

"Thank You for sparing him, Cloud. I know that was a hard decision to make."

Her partner shook his head and responded.

"No………...you were right…………I shouldn't have tried to kill him…………thank you for believing in me, Aerith."

-

Don Corneo looked at his ledger. The young power couple had fought against powerful odds and had prevailed against the group of twelve thugs.

"The gambling odds of those two winning it all just tripled after one match if they were able to progress to the end of the group bracket and face our fighter in the finals. Hmmmmm………."

The Turk from Shinra raised his eyebrow in interest at the prospect and asked the obvious question.

"What would the take be from a fight in that scenario?"

The crime lord ran some numbers through this head and chuckled menacingly.

"I think we could win more than a small fortune at the end of this tournament. Looking at the bracket, these two lovebirds appear to be fighting the Powerhands next, correct?"

The Turk from Shinra brought up the bracket on the main screen. The names in the columns had been updated with the latest results, several of the previous entries had been eliminated, and the smaller bracket was displayed:

Powerhands 18-4  
Cloud and Aerith 2-0

Cutty and Sweepy 33-0  
Skull Crushers 15-5

Quartet Threat 2-0  
Sentinels of Magic 25-0

"Everyone knows Cutty and Sweepy are a lock on the group side of the bracket. Nobody has even come close to defeating them no matter how handicapped those armored bots are."

Don Corneo lazily waved a hand at the Shinra employee's remark.

"Yes, but there is something unique about that girl with the magic, her abilities might be able to overcome those robots. Plus, we have Chocobo Sam in our back pocket. We could always have him give us an advantage with the match. His business wouldn't be able to survive if he told me no."

The thoughts of the overweight crime boss were running wild as he continued.

"If we could trick the crowd into picking those two at overwhelming odds, should they defeat Cutty and Sweepy………………well that would be interesting indeed…………."

An associate knocked at the door to the room, the Don answered.

"What is it?! I am terribly busy right now!"

A worried lackey brought a message to Corneo, who tore the letter open and slammed a fist on the table.

"Go back to the idiots you work for and tell them to call me once they get this message!"

The Don scribbled furiously on a piece of paper before sealing the page in an official envelope that held his Wall Market seal and handed it back to the Shinra Turk.

"Any other messages to deliver outside of this?"

The Turk placed the letter in his jacket pocket.

"No, and if that letter falls into anyone else's hands beside Heidegger's, you had better end your life because it will be a lot kinder than what I will have done to you. Do we understand each other?"

Don Corneo looked flustered as he noticed the next battle start on the jumbo screen near his desk.

The man in black nodded as he walked out of the study. "I will be in touch. Expect me for the final rounds of the tournament tomorrow. We both know what's at stake."

The door closed behind the calm Shinra assistant as Corneo spun around in his desk chair with his inner thoughts running rampant.

"The only Turk that has been smart enough to cooperate with me, he had better stay in line if he knows what's good for him."

-

Kyle was quite interested in the result of the last fight that had taken place.

"You know I've been here for quite a few years; I haven't seen an outcome like that in a long time. You two are impressive for sure but don't let it go to your heads. Tomorrow is the last day with the biggest challenges for you guys, so get some rest tonight and get ready for the semi-final match tomorrow afternoon for the group bracket. Should you make it past that round, then things will get really interesting."

Aerith couldn't help herself as she smiled before responding.

"I told you to get used to us! We can't wait to see you again tomorrow, Kyle!"

Cloud shook his head as he took his partner by the hand and walked her towards the elevator.

"Hey, Cloud! Aerith! Wait up!"

A nearby tournament official came running up to the two fighters and handed them both giant gift baskets.

"What are these?"

Cloud wanted to know what the gifts were.

"They are tokens of appreciation from your admirers! Didn't you know? You guys are famous now! Defeating Beck's Badasses like that when you were completely outnumbered and outgunned with that team member change? Incredible! You made the people who bet on you a lot of Gil tonight. Where should we have the rest of your gifts sent?"

Aerith's mouthed opened wide when she saw the large stack of flowers and gift baskets stacked behind the official standing nearby. There was no way the overflowing gestures of appreciation would fit in their hotel room.

"I have a place they can be sent if the Coliseum doesn't mind forwarding them to another spot outside of Wall Market?"

Cloud wondered what Aerith was thinking.

"Really? Where are you thinking of sending them?"

Aerith smiled at her bodyguard's curiosity while she accepted a pen and a form from the nearby attendant.

"I will send them all to my house, and Elmyra will pass them out to the town, everyone there can use some cheering up, the flowers will brighten sector five a little bit, don't you think Cloud? We can help her after we get back too."

The idea was brilliant; it eliminated the problem of having to carry all of the packages anyway.

"That is a great idea."

Aerith handed the form back to the tournament official and told her to have all future gifts forwarded to her home to be dispersed to sector five the same way.

As the night continued, Cloud and Aerith once again waved at their admirers as they walked to a nearby restaurant for a late dinner and drinks to help them forget about all of the fighting at the Coliseum.

-

"So, you have never left Midgar before?"

Cloud and Aerith were given a table tucked away from the main dining hall. They were eating and drinking near the kitchen area because the owner was a huge fan of theirs and respected their desire for privacy as everyone in Wall Market was rushing up to them whenever they passed by.

Aerith looked up at Cloud's question as she tried to swallow a large bite of fish that she was struggling to finish.

"Yeah, I have always thought about it but could never go through with the decision; I have always wondered what lies beyond the steel sky. I love the slums, though, the world that is here with so many lives………..so much passion and so many dreams all around us……………the people here are wonderful if you take the time to get to know them."

The bodyguard felt funny, asking someone about their motivations. The sensation was not a familiar one as he studied the girl sitting across the table from him.

The act of having dinner with another person was also uncommon for him. Cloud typically ate alone with no company; he had already broken this habit several times in the shortened week he had spent around Aerith.

What other experiences would the flower girl cause him to learn as they spent more time together?

"Do you think Elmyra would ever want you to go away from the city? It's a big world out there."

Aerith finally finished eating her fish and wiped her face as she gauged Cloud's latest question. Her smile was interested in his choice of discussion for the evening.

"Hmmmmm….Yes, she has always said I am welcome to travel if I wanted to, believe it or not, she doesn't think I am some little girl in need of protection. She treats me like an adult now. I am here fighting with you, aren't I Cloud?"

The mercenary winced at the answer he was given, he phrased his question poorly, and Aerith was hammering him for it, but just as he was worried about the last remark, the green-eyed girl smiled again to lighten the mood. They were celebrating their victory after all in any case.

"I'm just having my fun with you Cloud, why all the interest in traveling? Thinking about going somewhere, Mr. Merc? Can I come too?"

There it was again, Aerith's flirting that she so easily turned on and off like a motorcycle revving up to full speed and shutting off after maxing out. 

The effect of her quick-witted nature gave Cloud whiplash sometimes, but he enjoyed the power it held over him quite often.

"No, I don't have immediate plans to leave the city, but if I ever want to, it's nice to know someone would like to come with me."

Aerith's smile looked happy as she held it when Cloud responded to her last question. He was finally starting to open up to her mannerisms.

The Manager of the restaurant came by to ask how the meal was and offer his services.

After politely turning down more wine and dessert, the two fighters finished and paid for their meal. They left the restaurant through the back door so they could slip out discreetly.

-

As the power couple finished dinner and left the establishment, a fighter stood in a nearby alley. The figure was dressed in a cloak and watched them go away from the restaurant through the back entrance. After tailing them back to the HoneyBee Inn, she jumped behind a corner as Cloud spun around and put a hand on his sword when they reached the entrance.

The fighter pondered Cloud and Aerith's presence while standing tucked around an alley out of the swordsman's field of vision. She waited a few seconds before slipping away undetected. Her glimpse of the power couple was all the information she needed to obtain as her presence disappeared from the lower sections of Wall Market.

"What is it?!"

Aerith yelled and pulled out her staff as a reflex to Cloud grabbing the buster sword handle.

"I just thought……. I had the strange feeling we were being followed." The SOLDIER looked around the area they were standing.

"By who?"

Aerith was curious. Cloud scanned the space thoroughly before letting down his guard.

"Maybe I'm just paranoid. I don't have the feeling anymore, being famous does this to people, I guess."

The flower girl laughed at Cloud's behavior. She walked into the hotel and gestured her partner to follow her upstairs.

The blonde swordsman had already gotten used to taking off his shoes when he entered their room, not paying attention to Aerith as they winded down for the evening, he was surprised when she plopped herself right down next to him on his bed and started talking.

She was already out of her jacket and boots with her hair down as she talked with serious thoughts running through her mind.

"Cloud, were you ever in any battles?"

The mercenary wasn't expecting any questions about his military service as he had been completely distracted by how beautiful Aerith looked and how she was sitting right on top of him and that they were once again alone in a hotel room together.

The question had utterly caught the SOLDIER off guard.

"Ummmm yeah, I saw combat on several occasions."

Aerith had an intriguing look as she studied her partner while he answered.

Cloud knew what this was about.

"You want to know if I ever killed anyone………. don't you?"

Aerith waited a minute before saying anything. "You don't have to tell me………I think I know the answer."

The moment of closeness turned strange for a minute before Aerith stood up and pulled her bodyguard up from the bed with a tug at his hand.

"What are you--------?"

He was about to ask why they were standing up when Aerith put her arms around him and made him hug her closely. As he held Aerith in his arms, she spoke about the fight.

"You saved me tonight Cloud, and I know why you fought the way you did and why you were so angry. You were protecting me just like you promised. You not only protected me, you saved another life tonight, and that is also so amazing. I am so happy to be here with you, you're wonderful."

Cloud didn't feel or understand Aerith's interpretation of the fight because her magic was what clearly won the match for both of them. He embraced the flower girl's feelings because of his deep affection for her and responded.

"It was you who saved me; I would have just had another pointless death on my conscious if you hadn't of talked me out of what I was going to do. Aerith………………...thank you…………………."

The bonding moments felt beautiful to share together as they both gently pulled away from each other. The romantic tension ran high as their faces were close together, and Aerith spoke softly.

"What are you thinking about?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper as Cloud thought of the desired sensation that never crossed his mind before.

("How much I want to kiss you.") He wouldn't dare say that thought out loud. They had grown leaps and bounds together since the last time they were in this room together, and Cloud wasn't confused any longer on his attraction for his partner.

Aerith spoke his desire into existence.

"You want to kiss me right now, don't you Cloud?"

Cloud's face turned red instantly as he tried to shake his head; he almost started losing his mind as the flower girl had caught him. Just as the nervous pain of fear penetrated his thoughts, her hands held both sides of his head and held him steady.

"Are you afraid?"

Cloud stared at Aerith's calm eyes while his shook in fear after she whispered in what could only be her attempt to calm his worries down. He nodded gently while his words were paralyzed as the lovely partner pulled him down to her level and put her forehead against his.

She spoke the most gentle, kind-hearted words as her eyes were closed, and her hands held onto her bodyguard's face as she cradled his fragile spirit in her soft touch.

"What are you afraid of, Cloud? I am right here; I'm not going anywhere tonight. It's just you and me."

Before Cloud could say anything, Aerith moved her lips to kiss the side of Cloud's cheek. As they touched the side of his face, the sensation it gave him could only be described as warmth—the kind of heat he had never experienced in his life. The raw emotion that made him feel he really had a heart underneath his rough exterior that filled him with joy he had never understood and made him realize he could take on the entire world with her at his side.

Aerith knew the moment had passed as Cloud felt the side of his face and looked at her with surprised eyes, her smile still penetrated through his mild form of shock.

"You know you could kiss me if you wanted to………………. And I know you do; you want to kiss me so bad, don't you Cloud?"

She was not wrong; Cloud held a hand on his cheek as Aerith smiled and went back over to her bed to lie down.

The mercenary just stood still in the same spot as Aerith wished him a good night as she turned her light off so she could go to sleep. She knew her partner was struggling with his inner feelings and wasn't going to pick on him any longer for them.

("What the hell just happened?! Why am I so stupid?!")

Cloud cursed and scolded himself as he turned off his light and laid back down on his bed with frustration. He felt the romantic feelings of the night die because of his poor decision making.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Cloud, so close. I actually want him to embrace Aerith more but he just keeps getting in his own head all the time! Anyhow, these two characters have so much in store for them and I can't wait to continue this work. Thank You all for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Aerith continue their journey through Wall Market as the tournament continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update! These are taking longer to post and I'm sorry about that. I thank all of you for reading and hope you enjoy it!

The promise of fame, riches, and the honor of visiting Don Corneo's mansion in person. These were the rewards for becoming the winners of the Tournament of Champions in the special three-day event at the coliseum in Wall Market.

Cloud had not desired any of those things, he simply needed to find a lead on where Tifa was, and if a visit to the crime lord's large house was what it would take to discover her, then he would fight in the tournament of champions until he reached the end. The sleeping mercenary missed anticipating that a certain flower girl would be staying by his side every step of the way.

Their interactions had become platonic. Aerith had bonded with Cloud in a particular way he would never have expected from anyone. They shared their thoughts and feelings with one another. They trusted each other in the heat of battle. The connections that had already happened between their two personalities could almost be described as romantic. As the stoic fighter rested on his bed, his thoughts were about the people they had met and the relationships they had cultivated in such a short amount of time.

("Promise me you'll protect her; she is all I have left in the world.")

The agreement Elmyra made with Cloud when she left them the other night; Cloud would not have thought in a million years that Aerith's stepmom would give him any kind of blessing, but they were still here, fighting together after she had talked with her daughter and her bodyguard.

("People are too busy with their lives or too wrapped up in themselves to notice when children try to talk to them.")

The bakery owner had complimented Cloud and Aerith when they had talked to his children next door while eating breakfast. The SOLDIER couldn't remember spending any time with children outside of the moments he spent with Aerith in sector five and now in sector six.

("You are a nice enough looking couple; hate to see either of you lose the other.")

The warning Kyle gave both of them before their last match in the coliseum, nobody thought Cloud and Aerith would make it this far. They were becoming a force to be reckoned with; Beck's Badasses had tried to cheat them on their way to victory. The trickery had blown up in their faces, and Aerith had kept her partner from killing a man that had begged for his life in total surrender while his allies had run for their lives away from the power couple in the arena.

("I know you are a better person than this.")

That trust that Cloud fully realized was placed in who he was as a person. It is not the kind of emotion someone would put in a mercenary or an individual with a business arrangement or even a personal acquaintance. Aerith trusted Cloud as a human being to show mercy over the act of killing another defenseless living soul, she knew he would make the right choice, and the SOLDIER had grown closer to her ever since the fateful decision was made.

As the thoughts of their journey swirled around in his head, Cloud shifted in his bed and woke up to see the morning sun peering through the window of their room. A glance to the other side of the room showed him that Aerith's bed was already made and that she must have left before he woke up. This was an odd development.

As Cloud started to get worried while putting on his shoes, a glance towards the door showed a note that had been carefully stuck to the door handle that must have been left by the flower girl.

After he finished getting dressed, Cloud stood up and walked over to the note.

The handwriting was clean and tidy; the message left by Aerith was short but partly answered the question of where she was:

I went into the market to pick up a few things. You looked adorable, sleeping like a baby, so I didn't want to wake you up.  
If you do wake up before I make it back, come find me, we can make a game out of it!  
If you would rather wait, then stay put, and I'll see you for lunch at the Inn.

xoxo   
Aerith 

("Were the kisses and hugs really necessary?")

Cloud repressed a chuckle at the note as he gently folded the paper and put it carefully in his pocket.

"Let's play a game of hide and seek then."

The mercenary of sector seven left his sword behind as he exited the room and walked down the stairs that would take him out of the Honeybee Inn.

-

"What is that stupid oaf trying to do up there?!"

There was rambling coming in from the Shinra assistant on the other end of the line as Don Corneo was sitting behind his desk. His hand had a phone up to his ear while another telephone was ringing on his desk. The vein on the side of his head was pulsing with fury as he continuously interrupted the person trying to explain the war secretary's schedule.  
As the crime lord was multitasking, he had Kotch come pick up the other cell phone while shouting into the one in his hand.

"Tell that buffoon that he is one step away from GETTING ME PISSED OFF!"

Corneo turned off the phone he was using as he listened to Kotch answering the other call that had arrived while he was shouting at Heidegger's assistant on the other line.

"Yes, we can make those arrangements. Who may I inquire is asking for such a wager?"

Kotch was talking with the cell phone held up to his ear while taking down betting information on a nearby screen tablet. Corneo's mouth smiled with greed as he studied the notes being taken in front of him. The large man snapped his fingers at Scotch, who came running up to the big boss as he whispered something in his ears as to not speak over the phone call.

"Run the numbers for the next solo match and come back when you have the big picture ready ok?"

Scotch nodded as he left the room and the call with Kotch came to an end.

"What was the amount on that call?"

Kotch finished typing and flipped the screen to show his boss how much Gil had been wagered from that one transaction. Corneo's eyes opened wide at the number of zeroes on the application of the tablet. The oversized criminal was kicking his feet up and down with glee while pumping both fists in celebration.

"HOOOO! This tournament was GENIUS!"

Kotch put the device back where it was stationed before they had both answered the phones and walked over to the large television on the far wall. Turning it on brought the daily news, and the assistant for Corneo had the screen switched over to the tournament bracket's solo side.

The results had been updated and showed the individual matches remaining for the final day. The brackets had been structured had the solo participants competing to the end before the group matches would convene in the evening.

The winners of both the solo and the group matches for those final rounds in their respective columns were to compete at midnight for the grand finale in the Champions' Tournament.

Living Death (27-1)  
Nightfox (2-0)

Shockwave (41-8)   
Tradewind (36-4)

White Widow (2-0)  
Stone Heart (11-5)

"The odds for Living Death are five to two to proceed, but that's to be expected. The sorcerer never loses, and we can't throw any good money away on Nightfox to progress any further. That match is going to be completely one-sided."

Corneo nodded his head as he took several puffs on his cigar. The boss was studying the bracket on the wall in front of his desk.

"Does it matter to us who wins in the second round? Neither Shockwave nor Tradewind are in our interests last time I checked."

Kotch was looking at his phone while responding to the criminal mastermind.

"We reached out to both of their managers, but the two fighters are so evenly matched we would be wasting our investment in that round. No one seems to be putting big money on that fight. Everything will be focused on how the White Widow does against the veteran Stone Heart."

The Don leaned over his desk with a powerful smile as his master plan was starting to come to fruition.

"That's our dark horse in this entire show; what kind of odds can we expect in that fight?"

The announcer was typing in some numbers before showing his boss the screen on his phone.

"My connections say preliminary bets have a four to one odds advantage for Stone Heart to proceed, we should wait until the start of the match to dump our Gil into the system, and that will give us the biggest payout. If you are sure, White Widow will win."

Corneo put his cigar down and stared down Kotch with a menacing scowl.

"You and Scotch may be my greatest assets, but remember this…………. NEVER DOUBT MY PLANS………. I KNOW she will win. Got that Kotch?"

The lackey backed up a step before apologizing.

"I'm sorry boss didn't mean to disrespect………...my bad."

-

("Where would she have gone? What would she be picking up in the market?")

As the mercenary pondered his next move, a familiar group caught his eye. Ace and Lily ran up to him to say hello. Cloud realized he was standing just outside of the bakery he shared breakfast with Aerith at the other day.

"Cloud! You and Aerith have been so awesome lately! Are you excited about your next match?!"

Ace was beyond thrilled to see the blonde swordsman again as his little sister asked an obvious question.

"Where's Aerith?"

As Cloud responded with a hello back to the kids, he suppressed a smirk at the two children's return. Their mother showed up to shuffle them both inside while apologizing to the stoic fighter before he returned her kind gesture with a response.

"No trouble at all. Have you seen Aerith anywhere, by the way? I know she's in the market, but we got separated this morning."

The baker's wife pointed towards the shopping district nearby and spoke over the daily noise.

"I saw her walk by this way earlier. She might be headed towards the main street area in one of the shops."

Cloud thought this made sense as the note did say she was picking up a few things.

"I'll head that way then, thank you."

The hustle and bustle of the crowd seemed to pick up as the morning hours progressed. Cloud was stopped a few times by people who recognized him in the streets, but the bodyguard always responded to the interactions by quickly ending the conversations. After some time, the greetings from strangers almost became numb to the coliseum hero as he entered what felt like the tenth store of the day.

("Screw this. I'll just go back to the Inn and wait for her there.")

The mercenary was about to give up on their game of hide and seek when he spotted it. Aerith's staff was propped up against a coat rack in the clothing store he just entered. As Cloud was about to ask the cashier what was going on, he received a happy greeting from the person behind the counter.

"Cloud! Good morning to you, sir! Are you here to pick up Aerith? She was just talking about you a minute ago."

"Uhhh, yeah. Thanks."

This was an interesting turn of events as the blonde answered and walked further inside. Cloud did not know why Aerith was looking at clothes, but it saved him from waiting for her later. There was a small sense of relief with being reunited with his fighting partner, but where would she have gone inside the store? The place was more extensive than it looked on the inside.

As the bodyguard looked down the rows and aisles behind the store's front, he quickly asked specifically where his fighting partner was. The attendant at the front smiled and pointed towards the back end of the clothing shop.

"Last time I saw her, she was going into the fitting room; I think she was looking for gloves and a dress that was more suitable for fighting in. I'm a big fan of you guys, by the way, I can't wait to see your next match!"

Cloud worded a quick thank you as he walked to the back end of the large shop. The place was relatively empty, which was a relief because it meant he would find her more quickly, and the day could proceed without any more surprises.

The store was impressive for its location, the streets of Wall Market typically didn't house any businesses that were this size, but Cloud wouldn't have guessed the back wall would be so far from the front entrance. After looking at the two fitting room doors open with nobody inside of them, Cloud was about to turn around when two familiar hands covered his eyes from behind his head, and a friendly voice whispered in his ear.

"Awww, you found me. Took you long enough."

Aerith caught her partner from behind and poked fun at her bodyguard for letting her get the drop on him. Cloud smiled, knowing Aerith couldn't see his face before turning around to give a rebuttal.

"Well, you didn-----"

What Aerith did or didn't do wasn't mentioned as Cloud could not utter another syllable. The swordsman was mesmerized by beauty he could not even comprehend as his jaw dropped in astonishment.

The flower girl had on a different outfit; her pink dress was usually very complimentary of her figure, but the dress she had on now highlighted every facet of her physical features as Aerith studied Cloud's reaction with a slightly embarrassed smile; her face changed to pink for a second as she noticed Cloud staring at her with widely opened eyes.

The spellcaster's hair was down, Cloud was used to this by now, but Aerith's hair was cleanly brushed down in a way where it highlighted the beauty of her smile as her entire body shined under the rose-colored outfit that fit her figure perfectly.

The swordsman wasn't only tongue-tied, he was stumbling over his own feet trying to find the right words to respond to his partner's appearance, and he might as well have surrendered because it was a losing battle.  
Aerith was the first one to break the ice as the tension increased. She pushed her face closer to Cloud to try and dispel his nervous behavior.

"Do you like it?"

The red dress she was wearing was obviously not for fighting, but Cloud would never say he didn't like it.

"Ummmmm………. that's…………...really………..."

Aerith smiled as she filled in the blanks for her partner. The cheerful girl looked down at her dress while explaining why she was wearing something new.

"Yeah, I was having a good time trying on other dresses, but this one was on a rack nearby, and I thought I would have some fun for a minute. A shame we aren't going to a party or something exciting enough to wear this at, but I think it might be too gaudy for someone like me."

The SOLDIER hadn't gotten control of his feelings yet as he continued to stare at what he considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Cloud's brain continued to fail him as he opened his mouth to try and say anything that remotely resembled words.

"Ummmm yeah……you look………."

Aerith perked up as she realized Cloud was trying to say something kind before she noticed where his eyes were staring. The mercenary was looking at her body and not her face.

"CLOUD!"

The swordsman jumped out of his distracted gaze and met Aerith's eyes with his own before apologizing.

"Scuse me………………. You look…………. beautiful."

The previous act was forgiven as Aerith smiled at her partner's behavior. She didn't expect to run into Cloud while shopping for clothes, but it turned out to be a happy coincidence as Aerith settled on a dress that looked the same as the one she already owned.

After changing out of the fancy outfit that was impossible to move in and into her newly fitted apparel, Aerith resumed her daily checklist with the SOLDIER at her side.

Cloud found his voice as the power couple returned to the streets of Wall Market. The morning crowd appeared to grow as the day moved forward.

"You said you were going to pick up a few things. Did that note mean you just wanted to buy clothes?"

Aerith didn't appreciate the unadorned accusation as she turned to face her bodyguard with minor disapproval.

"You didn't like my note? I had more to do than find another dress, you know? Hmmm, maybe I should go ahead to my next stop and make you find me all over again."

The question on his end and answer in her response were exchanged lightheartedly, but Cloud felt the need to correct his misconception as Aerith did indeed leave him information where she was going this morning. There was a feeling that the mercenary had made an indelicate remark.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to say----"

The flower girl interrupted Cloud's apology by taking his hands in hers as she smiled and moved to stand right in front of him. The scene felt remarkably similar to the time they spent in their room the previous night.

"I know what you meant, no need to apologize, come with me to the materia shop. I have one other item to pick up before we can go back for lunch. Shall we mosey on over?"

The swordsman simply nodded his head as his cheerful partner skipped over to the next street with him in tow.

-

"Ok, run it by me again and try to tell me the bigger picture this time. Close the door and bring up the layout while you're at it."

Don Corneo sat behind his large desk with his arm propping up his face as he had gotten irritated with managing the entirety of the tournament that was about to proceed with the final matches of the solo round.

Scotch and Kotch were about to walk over to the coliseum before running the numbers of all the gambling that had occurred up to the current round. Several other lackeys were nearby packing up boxes downstairs to be shipped out soon that contained various amounts of goods and contraband.

The layout of the mansion showcased a criminal enterprise that was running on overload. It almost appeared that Corneo had bigger fish to fry when the entirety of his master plan came to fruition.

Scotch had the main screen up to display various amounts of Gil that were being transferred from the primary wager pool to the black market as Kotch was overseeing manifests on the end of the crime lord's desk.

"As we expected, the crowd loves Living Death in the next fight, and there will be virtually zero help given to Nightfox. We should avoid any interest in that round because the payout will be low even if we throw a ton of Gil into it, the return won't make any sense for us, and by some miracle, if Nightfox won then, we would be out a lot of money."

Corneo lazily waved his hand in agreement. He didn't need to be sold the details on something so simple.

"Ok, I get it for the last time. Now tell me the full story on the second match."

The man in the green shirt swiped the screen to the left as another page with numbers and statistics showed up to greet the three figures in the room.

"As we know, Shockwave likes to deploy electricity as a primary form of attack in all of his battles. The fighter has a proven track record of experience and has defeated a variety of enemies. His skills put him as one of the odds-on favorites to reach the finals, and he could give opponents like Cutty and Sweepy a run for it if they were to make it to the end."

The master and creator of the tournament pondered the strategy behind this plan before gesturing for Scotch to continue his character profile on the other fighter in round two.

"Looking at the other side of that fight, Tradewind is a well-rounded fighter that deploys different techniques depending on his opponent. His ability to adapt can take him far, but many gamblers in the crowd do not see him as a finalist. Should he prove victorious against Shockwave; however, those sentiments might change after the semi-finals in the solo round of the bracket."

The Don tapped his cigar in a nearby ashtray while looking at the screen in front of him. He appeared to be mulling over an important decision as the seconds ticked by on a nearby clock.

"Let's decide on this match later, bring up the final semi-final round for the solo tournament."

The screen showed the last match that would happen in the afternoon. The statistics looked overwhelmingly favorable for Stone Heart in the matchup against White Widow.

"Due to White Widow's unproven track record, the preliminary betting crowd has overwhelmingly supported Stone Heart, who is known for his gladiator armor and oversized ax. This fight could get ugly quick, and the odds on advantage has increased to 6-1 for the veteran in that fight."

Scotch and Kotch studied the screen closely as they waited for their boss to give the final approval. They had intended to talk the Don out of wasting the wage pool on one unproven fighter. Their idea was not followed as the criminal maestro responded with an evil grin.

"Dump all the Gil we have on the solo side into the bets for White Widow."

The lackeys could not believe their ears; sure, this had been discussed before but to see their superior recommend the amount of the wager at one hundred percent officially brought their disbelief to the front of his desk.

"But boss are you su-----"

Corneo slammed his hands down on his desk and shouted.

"ENOUGH! DOUBT ME ONE MORE TIME! I DARE YOU!"

The announcers took a step backward as they tried to maintain their composure at the outburst. Corneo was the most powerful gangster in all of the slums. Angering him was not in anyone's best interest.

"Yes…………... Yes, boss, please forgive us; we are just concerned because we don't understand your plan."

Both men were bowing in respect to the Don who scowled over the cowering assistants as he returned to taking puffs on his cigar.

"Nobody does, it's my plan alone, and you will both be well to remember that. Now go to the arena and do your job. It is time for the semi-finals to start, gentlemen."

Nodding vigorously, Scotch and Kotch left the mansion to resume their places in the press box above the coliseum skirmishes.

-

"So, what are we visiting this place for?"

Cloud was curious about the reason Aerith needed to visit the materia shop.

The flower girl answered while walking up to the front door to knock.

"Well, I'm here for materia. Does that surprise you, Cloud?"

The SOLDIER almost felt embarrassed to be poked fun at that way but smirked as Aerith's smile returned. She knew she had hit a nerve with her last sentence and returned Cloud's expression with a jovial remark.

"You are certainly interested in my hobbies today. Why is that Mr. Merc? Thinking about spending more time with me later? Hmmmmm?"

Aerith had poked her head up towards Cloud's eyes to see him as close as possible. In response, the bodyguard shifted further away from her face. 

Their lips had gotten too close again as Aerith's carefree interaction threatened to make the mercenary's face change color. Finally, finding the composure to match his partner's moxie, Cloud responded to the question.

"I just………. want to make sure you're safe………out on your own."

That last sentence was a lame comeback, and Cloud knew it. Aerith was more than capable of handling herself, but Cloud's interest in her hobbies of the day was more from an intrigued point of view than a worried one. The flower girl put her arm around one of her partner's elbows as she answered with a comeback of her own.

"That is so sweet Cloud, don't worry…………I have a bodyguard in case you didn't know. He's kind of silly, but I trust him with everything I have to keep me safe."

As Aerith finally knocked on the nearby shop door, Cloud felt his worries fall further away from him, like air being let out of a full balloon. Wherever this girl was, and whatever she was doing, the SOLDIER felt safe around her. Cloud felt whole when he was spending time with Aerith. The sensation was like fuel for the passion that burned inside his motivations.

As thoughts of companionship ran through the partner's mind, an interestingly dressed man opened the door to a small shop that appeared to sell more teapots than anything else.

"Please come inside, watch your step."

Aerith and Cloud stepped inside the small dwelling to conduct their business; the flower girl asked the first question.

"Do you have the materia I contacted you about this morning?"

The awkward stranger paused for recollection before reaching behind him on a nearby shelf.

"Yes……… this was not easy to get, but I have my ways……. but might I ask you two for a favor before I sell it to you?"

Cloud stood nearby with his arms crossed; he didn't want to take on any other projects while they were here but waited to find out what it was before he declined.

"Well, what do you need?"

Aerith asked politely to hear what the favor was going to be; she must have needed the unique materia she had on order from the proprietor of the only materia shop in Wall Market to show interest in his dilemma.

The owner of the store leaned forward to whisper in Aerith's ear. Cloud immediately stood close to make sure nothing weird was happening as he listened in on the request.

"I was robbed last week by some bandits; I need to have some items recovered that are of a sensitive nature, and you two are strong fighters that can recover them for me. I would pay someone else to do it, but I don't want to trust anybody with what was stolen. Plus, I have something you both need. Get me my stolen merchandise, and you can have the special materia you ordered free of charge. I'll even throw in something equally valuable if you bring those stolen items back quickly."

Cloud scoffed in disgust at the request before Aerith interrupted him and answered without hesitation.

"Ok, we will do it, but you have to promise me I can get the materia from you as soon as we get back here."

The SOLDIER was not happy with his partner's willingness to go along with the "favor." Cloud protested as the two fighters left the shop and headed for the outskirts of town. Aerith was looking at a poorly drawn map the shop owner had given her as to the bandit's whereabouts. The mercenary was asking why they were wasting time dealing with somebody else's problems.

Aerith looked back at Cloud while trying to find out which road they needed to take.

"We don't really have the Gil to spend on materia that expensive, and it kills two birds with one stone. We get to go for a good walk, right a wrong, and help someone in the meantime, plus he is going to throw in something else that will help in the next match. I think it's a win-win, don't you Cloud?"

The arena partner brought up a good point; the magical orb she needed was for their next fight. Aerith must have ordered materia for a spell she needed or magic to help them advance further into the tournament. Cloud realized he had not been supportive and tried to correct this behavior since the flower girl was simply trying to increase their odds of winning in the next round.

"All right then, how far away did he say the bandits would be from the outskirts of town?"

-

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE A WINNER!"

The first match in the solo bracket's semi-final rounds had come to an end as the crowd roared in applause. Scotch and Kotch completed their commentary as the victorious fighter left the ring and proceeded up a nearby stairwell to be escorted to the luxury press boxes overhead.

Living Death had annihilated the Nightfox quickly and had secured his spot in the finals of the solo bracket. He was ready to take on either of the other two challenges that would await him once the other two matches concluded later in the day.

Don Corneo sat across from the victorious fighter and congratulated him in his private luxury suite in the coliseum. While it was uncommon for the Don to visit the arena, a personal appearance helped all of his plans flow more smoothly as the criminal mastermind contemplated how many investments he had spent on a different fighter that would be competing in the final match of the afternoon.

"You have done well in your history here; I trust you will have no problem in your next match with your capabilities."

The soft-spoken gladiator did not respond to the comments of Corneo as he bowed graciously before stepping out. He asked one question before he left the suite.

"How will I know who I'm fighting in the next round?"

The Don smiled as he responded.

"In the event there is an odd number of fighters left before the finals. We will have all three contestants flip a coin together simultaneously. The odd one out gets a bye round and waits for the winner of the other two fighters before proceeding. Pure chance will decide who has to fight the extra match."

The powerful spellcaster nodded his approval and stepped out of the box without another word as Corneo scoffed at his exit.

"Can't trust the ones who never talk, glad my money isn't on him."

The same Turk from Shinra arrived to discuss business. Corneo had been expecting him as the coliseum's atmosphere continued to increase in excitement after the first match's festivities concluded. The mob of spectators was ready for more.

"How long until the second match starts?"

The cunning overlord was expecting the new visitor to arrive between the fights, just like clockwork. The black-suited man always arrived on cue to go over the criminal underworld's business dealings. Corneo was superficially his primary contact with that entire enterprise.

"Won't be long from now. How did your visit with Heidegger go? That useless war secretary doesn't seem to enjoy hearing from me. Never minds taking my bribes, though. If I were you, I'd get a new boss when the next round of Midgar gets built."

The Turk from Shinra kept a straight face at the mention of Neo-Midgar. It shouldn't have been a surprise that Don Corneo would have contacts on the inside to tell him about the new plans that were supposed to be classified at this point. Indeed money changed hands back at headquarters, but this was not exactly a startling revelation.

"Have you concluded your strategy for the solo side of the bracket then?"

Having prepared himself for that specific line of questioning, Corneo pushed a button on his walkie talkie.

"Have my secret weapon step in here for a minute."

Two Tournament officials approached the suite with a masked fighter in full gear following behind. The solemn participant said nothing as she stood outside of Corneo's private luxury suite. Shinra's secretive Turk opened the door and gestured for the relatively unknown fighter to enter.

"We will make this short and sweet so that we understand each other."

The crime boss addressed the masked fighter in the room. The gladiator known as White Widow wore a blank white mask that covered every part of her face. A cream-colored cloak was worn over the rest of her attire that consisted of a simple long sleeve shirt and black pants that contained no armor but appeared to be worn for ease of movement in battle.

She carried a mid-length rod that appeared to have materia orbs attached inside. The rod could be broken down to a shorter length and fastened to her belt when she wasn't using it for combat. The quiet participant looked up at both of the men in the room and nodded for the next part of the conversation.

"You understand the stakes, I have what you want, and your victories will earn me more money in one day than I average in six months of criminal dealings. These battles are important to everyone and can be the difference between life and death for many people we may all have an interest in. Do you understand?"

The White Widow said nothing in response but merely shook her head in agreement as the Turk from Shinra took a step forward. The man in black chimed in with his analysis of the deal all of the parties were privy to.

"You have my assurances Shinra will not get in your way when the tournament is completed. The transfer will go as requested once the Don receives his Gil. You will also receive the information packet that is contained in this wall safe. Compliments of our research and development division."

It appeared Corneo had a man on the inside, which made perfect sense as to how he procured the sensitive materials needed to offer an exchange with the fighter for her participation in the tournament. A large safe was revealed to the White Widow behind a portrait in the luxury suite that was opened to show the box she had wished to look inside earlier in the week.

Closing the safe and moving the swinging portrait back into place had caused the stress in the air to die down as the gladiator spoke a farewell to her business partners.

"I will win this tournament for you, and we will conclude our agreement. Thank You for holding your end of the bargain so far."

The fighter bowed as she left the room and the Shinra Turk shut the door behind her.

"Are you confident she can win?"

The nearly bald boss was lighting another cigar before taking a puff with his overconfidence gleaming.

"I'm counting on it. As many would say in a poker game………… I'm all in."

The man in black had one last thought on his mind.

"What about the other girl who----"

Corneo interrupted this idea with a wave of his hand.

"Oh, there's no need to worry about her. I already took care of that."

-

"Take it! Please take whatever you want!"

The final poor bandit was trembling as the rest of the thieves were knocked out unconscious from Cloud's buster sword. It had taken only a small amount of time for the power couple to find the makeshift hideout hidden behind a short walking path from Wall Market.

Cloud and Aerith had asked politely if the bandits were going to hand over the stuff they stole from the people in Sector five and Wall Market, but they were mocked and laughed at after doing so. Cloud was not exactly happy with the behavior, so four of the five bandits paid a high price for their mockery.

"Thank You, now neither of us wants to see any of you coming around here again. Get lost."

The last bandit nodded and took off running away from Cloud and Aerith's position. The SOLDIER examined the contents of the backpack before speaking to his partner.

"Looks like everything the shop owner needs is in here, but I don't understand why this is all so important."

Aerith shrugged and shook her head after examining the space the bandits had made out of a partially collapsed bridge. The concrete and remaining pillars had made good cover for anyone who needed a place to stay out in the unknown distance between sectors five and six.

"Well, you know what they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Let's get back and get ready for tonight."

The cheerful smile shined through the walk back to the materia shop. Reaching the door, Aerith knocked and waited. The store owner answered quickly and gestured for both of the fighters to come inside.

"Yes, did you find what I needed?"

Cloud dropped the backpack on the table, and the store owner rummaged through the contents with joy.

"Woot, Woot! Excellent! Yes, I will be right back."

Walking behind a sliding door, the shop owner stepped away for a few seconds and returned with two small boxes, one held in each hand. There were inscriptions written out on both boxes. The writing carried the same words on both containers: Danger: unstable materia.

Aerith smiled as she slipped both orbs into her staff; Cloud was curious about what the newly acquired magic would do for their chances in the next battle.

"Is that new magic you haven't used before?"

The beautiful partner looked up with a cheerful expression before responding to the mercenary's question.

"It's more like something I have always wanted to try. I won't use these unless I have to, but I'm happy to know I have this spell combination in my back pocket should we need to rely on its power."

Aerith was more than capable of handling magic, as Cloud didn't feel the need to ask for elaboration. Now that her last errand was completed, the duo left the materia shop and headed towards the Honeybee Inn. Time had shifted from early afternoon to midday as the list of chores was erased.

Cloud went up to their room while Aerith waited near the front door. He grabbed his sword and went back downstairs to rejoin his partner as she looked up at him with intrigue as they walked.

The flower girl wanted to probe her partner's thoughts some more as they continued towards the coliseum.

"Are you worried at all about what we might face, Cloud?"

The swordsman kept his gaze forward as he walked with his fighting partner.

"Not so much what we will face but more about what will happen after the championship round……….I guess I shouldn't worry too much about that when the tournament is still here in front of us."

The flower girl knew Cloud had a lot on his mind. There was still a whole host of challenges laid out before them. There were the semi-finals and then at least one more match on the tournament's group side before they made the championship round. After they made it that far would they have to fight anyone else in Corneo's mansion to help Tifa get out of there?

Aerith understood Cloud's concern about the future and wanted to relax his mind. As the two fighters continued to walk back into the center of Wall Market, the spellcaster grabbed her partner's hand to get his attention.

"Wha-?"

The bright green eyes flashed with a simple grin as Aerith held onto Cloud's arm with all of her strength.

Cloud looked back at the determination of his walking companion before she interrupted his thought.

"Whatever happens, we will be all right as long as we stick together. Promise me we will face it all together, ok?"

The question seemed unnecessary to Cloud, but the mercenary realized Aerith was reassuring him that they were a team. They were going to face significant challenges ahead together; they were going to enter Corneo's mansion together. They were going to overcome the enemies of Wall Market and return to her house together. There was so much left to do; Cloud looked down at the fierce determination carved out on Aerith's face. There would be no turning back.

"I promise………...can I have my arm back now?"

The cheerful partner wouldn't let go of him just yet.

"No……... I think I'll keep it for a little bit."

While Cloud rolled his eyes at what was an excessive public display of affection. He secretly enjoyed Aerith holding her head on his arm as they walked over to the arena together, ready to face their next opponents.

As the two fighters made it to the outside of the coliseum, many spectators were gathered outside and greeted them with cheers as they walked up to the entrance. Cloud and Aerith were quickly becoming popular among the masses.

"You're the man Cloud!"

"Aerith, I love you!"

"You are both incredible! I can't wait to see you win it all!"

The praise and encouragement felt terrific to listen to as Aerith awkwardly waved and smiled at the nearby crowd that parted for them both to enter the arena. Cloud simply walked forward while keeping Aerith's hand in his so he could lead the two of them safely inside and head for the elevator.

As the lift started its descent, Aerith remained happy as Cloud closed his eyes to reflect on what was about to come.

The challenges of battle and his friend's fate would depend on how he performed in the formidable matches they were both about to face. As the two lovebirds walked away from the elevator and towards the waiting area, they heard shouting up ahead.

"Clear the Way! HEY DOCTOR, MOVE IT!"

Kyle was shouting instructions into a walkie talkie, the gate was open, and the sounds of the crowd had simmered down for once. Something terrible must have happened.

"The medical staff is calling it; inform the next two fighters their match can proceed as planned." The instructions came from an unknown voice as Kyle acknowledged his orders. 

Cloud and Aerith rushed up to the gatekeeper to find out what all the fuss was about as the gate closed behind Kyle's back.

"What happened?!"

Kyle looked at Aerith with a somber face as he answered her question.

"Shockwave and Tradewind are both dead. There was an explosion when their attacks connected, and neither of them could get to the medical ward in time."

Only three fighters remained in the solo bracket, with one match remaining that would determine who would move on to the finals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awesome battles and challenges await our power couple ahead, I wanted to keep going with this chapter but the stopping point felt right. More updates are on the way and I thank all of you for your kind words.
> 
> The tournament is quickly winding down, what powerful opponents await Cloud and Aerith in the Coliseum? Stay tuned!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Aerith face a powerful team in the tournament of champions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hoping to update this work at a faster pace than I have been doing but the length of these updates have been challenging. This ended up being a good amount of words before I was able to close this chapter and I hope everyone enjoys it! Thank you for reading! Let's see what challenges our power couple faces as the tournament continues!

“I think both of you should concentrate on the spellcaster while I take on the swordsman head to head.”

The leader of the Powerhands was standing over a circular table discussing strategy for the next match with the other two members of his team.

The three figures standing together all wore sophisticated metal armor, each person in a different style. The leader had a full set of equipment covering his arms, legs, and chest made from steel and a helmet linked to some type of wireless technology. The armor looked indestructible, and the weapons attached to his gear looked capable of tremendous damage.

The fighters were standing in a waiting room outside of the battle gate. The space was empty except for a few chairs, a television on the wall, and a table that was being used as the centerpiece of a meaningful conversation.

“Do you think that’s the right move, Tony? The guy looks really strong, and we can defend better if we stay in formation during the match.”

The man known as Tony looked back at the woman in the group and answered with a grave nod.

“From the research I’ve done and the scouting given for each team in the group bracket, it looks like the girl has more firepower than the swordsman, don’t worry, we aren’t underestimating either of them, but I need you both to keep her pinned down while I take him out first. After I neutralize the guy, we can finish her off together and move on to the next round. This match will have to end quickly if we want to advance.”

The other two members of the Powerhands nodded in agreement as the third fighter asked his question in response.

“Should we go on offense or defense against the magician? If she packs as much of a punch as you say maybe def-”

Tony interrupted the suggestion.

“Offense………… Don’t let her build up any energy or momentum for a spell. If she can find an opening, she will punish all of us for it. Hit her with everything you have so she has to defend………otherwise, we will get blasted with something we are not expecting. Beck’s Badasses had them outnumbered twelve to two, and she obliterated most of that group in one shot.”

The door connected to the room opened, and the gatekeeper made his announcement.

“Powerhands; after this last semi-final match in the solo bracket is done, your group will be fighting against Cloud and Aerith. I’ll call you to the arena once the field is ready. The match between Stone Heart and White Widow will be available on TV in here if you want to watch.”

Kyle made his departure as the group acknowledged the warning.  
“So, we are agreed on the plan? Keep the girl pinned down until I neutralize her boyfriend. After he is knocked out, we can surround her and finish the round easily enough.”

Tony and his allies agreed on their battle strategy as they turned on the nearby television to watch the solo tournament’s last semi-final match.

-

“Does this screw up anything we have planned?!”

The angry behavior of Don Corneo was barreling through the enclosed room as the crime lord showed impatience and worry from the outcome of the previous battle that had taken place within the last hour.

The funny-shaped boss was shouting and bouncing up and down in his leather chair as the cigar moving around in his mouth came dangerously close to falling to the floor.

Scotch and Kotch were standing in Corneo’s executive suite near the press boxes in the coliseum arena as the chaos of the last battle’s ending hovered over the atmosphere of the naturally jubilant sounds that came from within the circular structure. The somber ambiance moved through the airspace as the crowd stayed quiet in stillness and attentiveness from the last battle’s outcome.

“Not really boss, it might affect the amount of Gil that goes into the next match because gamblers typically don’t like to see draws in the outcome but overall, it won’t change much from our end.”

The gangster put a hand to his forehead; his patience with the events running through the week was about to reach its end as he thought about what to do next. Anxiety and frustration sounded through every word as the boss shouted his orders through the room.

“Both of you need to get back out there and fire up the crowd for the next round! It’s time for our dark horse in this whole event to show us why we are betting on her to take it all.”

The final match of the semi-finals was about to begin. The White Widow was going to face off against Stone Heart for one of two spots in the solo bracket’s Finals.

“But before you both do that, I have an idea………………we need to get everyone back into the spirits of Wall Market glory.”

The two announcers looked at each other with puzzled expressions. Scotch asked what their leader meant by his last sentence.

“What did you have in mind, boss?”

-

“You look worried, Cloud.”

Aerith was sitting on a bench in a different waiting room by the battle gate. The power couple went inside to sit down after learning about the other two warriors’ demise from the earlier match. While deaths were not uncommon in the coliseum, hearing about two mighty gladiators’ fatal fate brought worry and fear into the mind of the mercenary from sector seven.

He had promised Elmyra he would protect Aerith, he was now dangerously close to putting her in harm’s way again, and if anything happened to the flower girl, Cloud would never forgive himself. Learning of such powerful fighters’ deaths within the last hour reminded the swordsman how easy it would be to lose the person who mattered more to him than anyone else.

The blonde fighter continued to pace the room as he answered Aerith’s concern.

“I am thinking about what’s coming next; we are about to fight the best of the best……………. I don’t know if-”

The Cetra spoke over the fear that was building in Cloud’s mind. She had a strong point she wanted to get across.

“You and I are fighting together for a reason, Cloud…………We aren’t doing this for the money……. we are not fighting for fame or to see Don Corneo’s stupid mansion. You have a person who needs your help, a friend who is trapped in that big house, and I’m going to help you win these next couple of matches so you can save her. Please don’t be afraid.”

Cloud was about to speak as the flower girl shot up and stood right in front of him. They were standing face to face as Aerith continued.  
“You won’t let anything happen to me just like I won’t let anything happen to you. We are a team, remember?”

The SOLDIER didn’t need to be reminded that they were indeed a team; his fear still stayed bottled in the depths of his heart as he stared at the face of this mysterious girl he cared deeply for. There was only one more thing to say as the conflicted young man struggled with the intense emotions that stayed buried in his chest.

“Promise me we will both make it to the end together………... We will enter Corneo’s mansion together.”

He didn’t mean to do it, but the stoic fighter found himself holding Aerith’s hand. While they were both familiar with the concept of holding one another’s hands, the situations outside of Wall Market had not been construed as intimate whenever the action would take place.

This abstraction seemed to have changed as the spellcaster looked into her bodyguard’s eyes while realizing the man standing in front of her was holding perfectly still and was shining with powerful confidence waiting on her answer. This was a definitive change in the person she had started to spend time with only a couple of days ago. Still, the difference in behavior was incredible to witness as the magical girl understood what was happening.

The man whose eyes shook nervously back in their hotel room was gone. He had evolved, the events of the week had brought him to stare into the face of the person he fought side by side with, and time had a funny way of showing what was most important to you when staring into a field of danger.

Aerith smiled at Cloud’s determination, she knew a conflict was brewing inside of Cloud’s brain, but that was to be expected when his primary fear was her safety. The spellcaster nodded as she held onto the swordsman’s sturdy grip.

The two fighters held onto one another as Aerith returned her partner’s sentiment with one of her own. Her smile lit up the entire room as she responded.

“We will enter the mansion and leave Wall Market together; I know we will.”

The girl from sector five made the promise because she knew it would happen. The energetic partner felt deep down in her heart that their strength would overcome any obstacle or opponent thrown at them because the two partners could rise above any challenge that met them head-on. The confidence Aerith held in her relationship with Cloud far outweighed any fear or hesitation that could meet up with either of their worries.

A familiar voice opened the nearby door and made an announcement.

“Hey; Cloud, Aerith. Your match with the Powerhands will be coming up soon. You will both be called to the field after the last semi-final match in the solo round. If you wish to watch the White Widow fight against Stone Heart, you can see the action on TV in here.”

Kyle finished his instructions and shut the door as Cloud and Aerith returned a thank you for the warnings.

-

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we know you are ready for another round!”

The crowd’s sounds were much lower than expected, as many empty seats showed for the first time since the tournament had started. Scotch and Kotch had their work cut out for them as death and gloom hung over the balance of excitement and joy that was usually pouring out from the glory of battle inside of Wall Market.

“We both felt the pain of the final ending from the last match, but the Don never disappoints!”

As the scattered sounds of small cheers started to rise within the crowd, an unexpected act that was a once in a lifetime event caused the entire group of spectators to focus on the spotlight.

Don Corneo opened the door to his suite and waved to the masses in person from the front balcony to his private room. Guards, tournament officials, and thugs were flocking him on both sides for added security, but the Don himself was waving to the crowd to restoke the fires of competitive gambling and interest in gladiator combat.

As many stragglers in the public corridors and lobbies rushed back to their seats to get a physical view of the criminal warlord himself, Kotch made the next announcement over the sound system.

“We know our wonderful Don is a generous and giving man! But he has a message for all of you. HE WISHES TO SAY HIMSELF!”

The softened tones of the crowd started to disappear as the volume intensified inside the arena. The strategy Corneo and his lackeys were using was brilliant. Don Corneo was the equivalent of a folk hero for the mysterious underside of Wall Market. The criminal mastermind’s exploits were discussed in hushed tones, and everyone in the slums knew who he was. Despite all of these truths, very few people had the privilege or ability to see him face to face. The sight before the crowd broke many barriers that had never been pushed before the events of the evening.

As pandemonium started to encompass within the stands, everyone quieted down to listen to Don Corneo discuss the tournament’s status as the excitement built inside the unique structure in the sector five slums.

“My fellow citizens of sector five! I hope you are having a wonderful time here this evening!”

There was an explosion of applause as the crowd rejoiced at listening to the big man himself. Listening to Corneo speak in person was worth the admission price to a majority of the people standing in the building.  
“Just like in life, we have unexpected outcomes that challenge us every day. But know this; we can never let the setbacks of our day keep us from enjoying the rest of the week!”

The cheering continued; a few people in the crowd looked annoyed at the attempt to restore positive emotion for battle. Still, the bulk of the mob in the stands was hanging on every word, and the desperate attempt to reinvigorate the thirst for violence appeared to be working.

“I know many of us will keep a space in our hearts for Shockwave and Tradewind as they were both experienced fighters who kept us entertained for years here in our beloved home of Wall Market, but I assure you, I know myself that their wish would be for all of us to keep going on this wonderful adventure together!”

The sentiment shared by Corneo had lit the spark. The large portion of the crowd cheering on the powerful slum boss had started to chant for more destruction and bloodshed as the shouts of encouragement rained down into the depths of the arena.

“We will honor their memories by continuing in what their final wishes would be for all of us to keep going into battle just like it’s the last day! Just like in life, my friends! I bring you the last semi-final match of the solo round myself! Give it up for the White Widow and your very own gladiator Stone Heart!”

The spotlight had lifted from Corneo’s body as the floor of the arena filled with lights that shined overhead, and the two fighters walked to the center of the circular ring below.

The speech had done its job; Don Corneo had everyone cheering and gambling again; the criminal mastermind had seemed to not lose any steps over the years and was still a master at manipulation and misdirection. The large boss continued to wave and smile as the crowd cheered on the announcers who spoke over the rise of mayhem within the stands.

“We knew the generous Don would bring us the words of wisdom we all needed tonight! Ladies and Gentlemen, please give it up for our next two fighters as they begin their match!”

White Widow calmly took a bow in appreciation towards her opponent.

The fighter known as Stone Heart towered above as he stood at least a foot taller than his competition. He wore leather armor with a metal helmet and carried a massive two-handed axe that appeared to be old fashioned as the fighter had no firearms or materia on his body.

This was going to be a traditional slugfest, at least from one side.

The tall warrior returned the bow given by his enemy as the music volume increased, and the crowd roared for the start of the battle.

The announcers quickly spoke through the introductions.

“With a record of two wins and zero losses, give it up for our special newcomer, The White Widow!”

There as a scattering of applause and cheers as the graceful fighter took a stance in front of her enemy. She was preparing to attack.

“And with a record of eleven wins and five losses, let’s hear it for our legend of the axe! STONE HEART!”

The cheering difference was easy to witness as the mob of spectators clapped loudly for the well-known fighter as Scotch and Kotch shouted over the encouragement. The gong was struck as the words were spoken loudly over the speakers.

“LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!”

-

“What do you think about this fight, Cloud?”

Aerith had asked the question as the swordsman stood still with his arms crossed, looking at the spectacle being broadcasted on the television.

“They appear to be evenly matched, but I would say it all depends on whether or not the faster fighter has materia in her weapon. If she does, this won’t be a long battle. Stone Heart relies on toughness and strength. Those elements can only get you so far in today’s fast-paced world.”

The flower girl agreed as she leaned her head against Cloud’s shoulder. The power couple watched the fight with interest as they both remained quiet while studying the event playing on the screen.

-

“WHOA! What a move! Look at her go!”

White Widow had done an impressive backflip as Stone Heart made a vertical chopping motion with the broad axe pounding into the ground with full force. Chunks of rock and dirt splintered to scatter in all directions as the crowd yelled for more.

“Get her Stone Heart! Keep chopping away!”

The masked fighter appeared to be faster than her opponent and was using her speed to wear down the impressively sized enemy as the match continued.

The impressive specimen was robust and didn’t let the misses slow him down as the axe-wielder chopped away at the mysterious fighter over and over again. None of the attacks found their target as the girl known as White Widow made the afternoon’s first connection.

The quick fighter used her speed and reflexes to counterattack the powerful opponent over the side of the head and contacted the large man’s temple.

The giant hero almost toppled over as he dropped his weapon and reached for the side of his head in agony.

The warrior was not precisely soft by any means. His body appeared to be all muscle, and he handled his heavy weapon with power and experience, but the small fighter appeared to be ready for his attacks and countered with a perfect opening and incredible precision.

The White Widow knew how to fight; she appeared to also learn how to analyze weaknesses in her opponents, which made her dangerous. Scotch and Kotch reacted to the events that had just occurred.

“The newcomer has shown she belongs in the finals! Can Stone Heart overcome this setback, or will we get another upset today?!”

Stone Heart looked pissed off and miserable. The massive warrior took his helmet off and threw it at White Widow, who calmly ducked, so the projectile flew over her head without making any contact. The piece of armor clattered in the background as it landed on the ground in the distance.

The angry fighter once again picked up his axe and shouted with frustration as the attacks started to pick back up.

White Widow waited for another opening with patience before finding the next place to strike. The opportunity presented itself as a horizontal swing was ducked, and the fast fighter hit the tall opponent across the face with a powerful strike with the rod that was now held in her hand.

While the counterattack was successful, White Widow didn’t realize her opponent’s strength as he dropped his axe and grabbed onto her arms with his massive hands. The crowd started going nuts.

“Crush Her! SMASH HER STONE HEART! FINISH HER OFF!”

The setback was dangerous for the new fighter, but she was stronger than she looked as Stone Heart tried to smash her frame in his grip. White Widow’s mask almost flew up as she used her teeth to bite at the large man’s wrist, which caused the massive opponent to loosen his hold on her and the smaller gladiator used the opening to swing her body and kick the tall foe in the head.

Stone Heart could have used his helmet in this scenario as the muscular fighter started seeing stars from the blow he took above his eyes. White Widow fell out of his arms and used her rod to strike into the enemy’s weak point multiple times with fantastic agility and strength.

The angry giant fell to the ground with a large thud as the crowd starting screaming. The result was mixed as many citizens sensed the upset growing in the arena.

“COME ON STONE HEART! DON’T LET HER WIN! GET UP!”

The giant stirred as he struggled to regain his balance; blood was trickling down from the top of his head as he had taken multiple blows from the fast-paced opponent.

The announcers were in on the action.

“What a round! Can Stone Heart keep it up?! Do not look away, my fellow lovers of mayhem! This fight is everything we asked for and more!”

The smaller fighter held her weapon out horizontally and issued a grave warning.

“Please stop this……………the battle is over…………I don’t want to keep hitting you. Surrender with pride, or you will get dragged out of here.”

The hometown hero shouted in defiance as he started running towards his opponent. His arms were outstretched as he closed the distance between the two of them.

“YOU WILL DIE!”

The crowd cheered in support as the big fighter ran at full speed. The White Widow remained rooted in her stance as she allowed the space to close before unleashing her first magic attack of the afternoon.

“Then I am sorry…………. but I have to do this………... I didn’t want to…………”

A lightning spell fired from the rod hit Stone Heart at full strength as the tall fighter was blown backward, landing on the earth and crashing with a loud thud as the entire arena stood speechless at the final attack.

Scotch and Kotch stood open-mouthed, and the entire space in the coliseum fell quiet for a second before the cheers and booing started.  
“My fellow spectators! WE HAVE A WINNER! WHAT AN UPSET! Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for our finalist! WHITE WIDOW!”

The relatively unknown fighter was solemn and quiet as she walked back to the gate. She showed no interest in taking in the crowd’s cheers or boos, and calmly walked back to a waiting room outside of the metal barrier.

-

Cloud stayed still as he processed the fight that he just witnessed on the screen. Aerith looked at the screen, then back at the mako-infused eyes, then back at the screen again to try and understand what her partner was thinking. She had stopped holding onto his hand and shoulder and was calmly walking around the room as the solo fight came to an end. The flower girl wondered if she should speak up before the SOLDIER broke the silence.

“Are you bored? Standing in here, waiting with me?”

Cloud asked the question with concern as he finally took his eyes off of the screen and looked at Aerith’s face. This caused the Cetra to smile as she realized her partner was trying to bond with her now that his research of the previous fight had come to an end. The quick-witted girl shook her head before speaking up.

“Just trying to pass the time. Our fight is coming up soon. Are you nervous, Cloud?”

The mercenary was definitely nervous, but something in his partner steadied his concern. The stoic swordsman was far from ardent in many situations but felt the need to explain himself as he felt a strong desire to express his feelings. He calmly walked over and amazed the girl from sector five by calmly embracing her.

Cloud was always full of surprises, but even Aerith wasn’t expecting him to hug her at this moment as she looked up to see the brilliant blue eyes glow. His expression could only be described as……...happy? Was Cloud Strife actually satisfied at this moment? It was a lot to take in as the bodyguard spoke over his action.

“I am terrified of what might happen………...but there’s no one else I’d rather have fighting with me today……………… You were right, you know…………….”

There was a small smirk on his lips, the buster sword laid up against the wall as Cloud’s hands were on Aerith’s back as she laid the inside of both of her hands on the strong chest muscles that supported her small frame. At the same time, her emerald orbs studied the affection that caressed her spirit and body as the last ancient responded.

“Hmmm?..................... What was I right about Cloud?”

The smiling woman tilted her head to the side in an adorable fashion while loving every minute of the embrace the two fighters were sharing together. She rarely felt the affectionate side of her partner even though the two had gotten closer as the events of the week brought them together in so many different ways. The relationship aspect of their interactions had always been one-sided as Aerith had always been the one who initiated any physical contact that occurred between the two of them.

Cloud taking charge was definitely a change of pace as the quiet bodyguard answered the question.

“……………...That I wanted to kiss you.”

Aerith’s brain was exploding even though she kept a calm expression on her face with a small smile that slowly started to increase as her partner’s desire was audibly brought into the room. The smirk Cloud held on his own face didn’t go away.

“And do you still feel that way now?............. Hmmmmm?”

There would be no more talking as Cloud closed his eyes; the flower girl echoed this action herself as their lips came dangerously close before something snapped both of them back to reality. The door to the waiting room had opened, and Kyle was addressing both of them.

“OK guys, you ca-”

The gatekeeper stopped midsentence as he realized he had just walked in on something he shouldn’t have walked in on.

“Oh…………damn…………sorry you two. Didn’t mean to interrupt. Well, uh……….yeah……….You guys can go out to the field now………………. I’m rooting for you both…………..take good care of each other and all that………..yeah I’m gonna go.”

The awkward moment passed as the door closed and Cloud let go of Aerith. He walked over to the buster sword before swinging it onto his back. The flower girl could have sworn she heard a grunt of frustration as she shouted profanities in her head.

(“SERIOUSLY! COME ON! Can we not catch a break?!”)

Cloud walked over to the door before turning back around to his partner. The smirk was gone as he addressed the deflated moment of frustration.

“Maybe it’s like the time you taught me how to high five……………. Don’t worry…………... we’ll get there together.”

Aerith’s smile returned in full force as she skipped over to the mercenary and landed right in front of him. Her happiness blossomed above the atmosphere as she gave her rebuttal.

“Yes…………. We will.”

Cloud opened the door, and the power couple walked over to the gate together.

-

“YES, YES YES YEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Don Corneo was looking at the receipts for the last match’s gambling results, and as he expected, the gangster was swimming in the triumph of an enormous victory.

Scotch and Kotch added numbers and brought in extra hands to help process all of the confusion as the large boss shouted in glee.

“I TOLD YOU, BOTH! DIDN’T I?!”

Scotch set down his phone to pick up another clipboard as the phone in the office started ringing again. Another lackey picked it up to answer calls from the pit bosses below.

“Hey boss, the field crew is ready to bring in Cloud and Aerith. Did you want to do any gambling on that match before we open the odds to the public?”

Corneo waved his hand in disapproval as the criminal mastermind showed disinterest at the question.

“Oh please, I’m not worried about those two anymore. We have got a big pool in on the Powerhands now, and one of my equipment managers got them new armor that will toast the amateur couple. I was interested before, but now I’m just reveling in the spoils of victory! That match won’t even be close. The Powerhands are a lock, and I just need to count all of my Gil.”

The lackey turned down the offer for a counter-bet as he finished the call. Corneo was pumping his fist in the air and shouting questions over the mass confusion in his suite.

“HOW MUCH SCOTCH?!”

The announcer was adding up a lot of numbers and hesitated before giving a non-answer to the question.

“We don’t know yet, boss………...the results are still coming in.”

The gleeful leader continued to revel in the amounts of money he was making as the day carried on.

Kotch interrupted the excitement and tapped Scotch on the shoulder.  
“Time to go down below, let’s leave the boss to celebrate………. we have our other job to do.”

The other announcer nodded as they left the executive suite and walked over to the press boxes to announce the next match’s introductions.

-

“That wasn’t expected, but I guess the final result showed how much materia plays a role in today’s matches.”

The leader of the Powerhands, who was known as Tony, looked down at both of his weapons after acknowledging the outcome of the match that was watched on the television. The short swords were housed in attachments carried on both of his wrists, and they held two materia orbs each. The powerful circles gleamed in the room while another member of the team spoke up.

“We have embraced a lot of changes since the war, Tony. We’re doing the right thing; no matter what happens, we have to keep going so we can bring that money back home. I know we will win if we work together.”

The woman brought herself into the encouragement, and all three members of the Powerhands put their arms together to acknowledge the trust they placed in one another. There would be no turning back as the door opened, and Kyle spoke his final announcement.

“Your opponents are taking the field. You have about three minutes before we introduce you guys. Come to the gate, and we can get started.”

Tony looked at both of his allies before putting his helmet on as the other two fighters followed his example.

“You both have lost so much……...you understand what it means to fight against impossible odds. I am honored to have you here with me. Today will be the hardest fight we have ever encountered, my friends. These two warriors fight for love, but we fight for our family and our people.”

-

The crowd started to cheer as Scotch and Kotch shouted the introduction above the jubilant atmosphere.

“MY FELLOW LOVERS OF DESTRUCTION! DO WE HAVE A TREAT FOR YOU TODAY!”

The crowd had already started cheering on Cloud and Aerith; the power couple had already made a name for itself.

“With a powerful statement in the quarter-finals, welcome your favorite lovebirds to the ring! With a record of two victories and zero losses! OUR FAVORITE SPELLCASTER AND SWORDSMAN! Give it up for CLOUD AND AERITH!”

Pandemonium had reached the forefront of the coliseum as the crowd roared in approval as Aerith smiled and followed Cloud, who calmly walked to the center of the ring as they both carried their weapons in their hands at the ready.

The other gate started to open as the music increased, and Scotch began the introduction for their opponents.

“AND NOW!!!!!!!!!! Let’s hear it for our very own POWERHANDS! With a record of eighteen wins and four losses, the trio of fighters who know no limits!”

While Cloud and Aerith’s popularity appeared to have increased since the last battle, there was no denying the encouragement and support the trio of opponents across from them was receiving as the three fighters calmly walked to the front of the ring.

The leader of the enemy group pointed at Cloud and motioned for him to step forward. The SOLDIER obliged, seeing no harm in the action.  
The enemy stood a few feet from Cloud and spoke over the noise of the crowd.

“I must warn you both that we will show no mercy in this fight unless you surrender now, we don’t want to hurt either of you, and I cannot guarantee both of you will survive when the bullets start flying.”

The mercenary scoffed as he looked at the other two enemies before sizing up the man speaking in front of him.

“Neither will we; I’ll make you the same offer you just made us.”

The opposing man held in a small smile before responding to Cloud’s rebuttal.

“Sorry then, my friend…………it looks like destruction awaits both of us. Good luck to you.”

Cloud nodded in respect, and the two fighters went back to their side of the ring.

“What did he want to say?”

Aerith was asking Cloud what the conversation was about.

“Just asked if we wanted to surrender now………. I offered him the same deal.”

The flower girl scoffed and was preparing for the match to start by changing her stance.

“That was nice of you, Cloud…………...they should have taken you up on your offer.”

Scotch and Kotch spoke once more as the crowd was on its feet, preparing for one hell of a match.

“The most badass couple this side of Midgar vs. the most incredible trio of talented warriors the coliseum has known in years! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! IT DOESENT GET BETTER THAN THIS!”

The gong was struck as both teams started their initial attacks. Aerith had gotten used to seeing gunfire and projectiles as Cloud held his sword in front of him to block the bullets and an incoming missile that fired from a wrist rocket attachment from the enemy on the left.

Two giant yellow shields that resembled flowers were summoned in front of Cloud and Aerith as the crowd screamed from the familiar defensive spell that Aerith liked to use in many different situations.

“SHE’S PUT UP THE BARRIER! DO IT NOW!”

Cloud heard the leader of the other side shouting orders; as he spun to his right, he realized the man in charge of the three had already moved to flank his position, so he would have to respond by facing the point of contact.

Tony had drawn both of his short swords and was now fighting in close range combat against Cloud as their blades were clashing back and forth. In the background of the swordfight, Aerith stood behind both flowers, preparing a fire spell when something crazy happened.

(“WAIT…………. they are trying to separate us………...!!!!”)

An explosion of incredible strength was set off as the two flowers disappeared under a barrage of firepower Cloud and Aerith had yet to see up to this point in the tournament.   
The crowd was going insane as the two announcers were shouting above the fighting and noise.

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?!!!! CAN AERITH GET AWAY FROM THAT FIREPOWER?!”

The other two members of the Powerhands had shot off bombs that must have had mako infused into the cores because of the effect the explosions had on Aerith’s defensive magic. Regardless of the circumstances, the flower girl barely got away from the point of attack in time and summoned a defensive ally that would help her defend from fighting two enemies at once. Kotch reacted to the move and shouted over the loudspeaker.

“A SPECIAL GUEST HAS ENTERED THE ARENA TO KICK THINGS UP A NOTCH!”

Carbuncle had joined the match and was casting barriers and magic spells around Aerith to prevent future attacks from connecting as Cloud watched helplessly in the distance. Unable to overcome his opponent, who was on equal footing with his strength.

“It’s no use! GIVE UP!”

Tony shouted and slashed at Cloud’s buster sword repeatedly as the SOLDIER defended and kept pace with the onslaught of duel swords. The mercenary returned the last strike with a counterattack that pushed the opponent away but caused little damage.

Assessing the battle going on in the distance brought worry to Cloud. Aerith was mainly defending against two opponents and had brought a summon onto the battlefield. Summons drained her magic very quickly, and the action must have been done as a last resort because they were on opposite ends of the battlefield. Cloud needed to get his one on one match over quickly so he could help his ally.

Tony had another trick up his sleeve as the melee continued. Cloud blocked another attack before he realized the enemy knew how to use magic.

“Fooled you, didn’t I?”

The swords emitted a soft glow before casting a shocking spell onto the buster sword, which acted as a large lightning rod as the current flowed into his arms and chest. Cloud went down to one knee as the effect of the spell shocked him to his very core, and he dropped his sword while catching himself falling to the ground.

“Cloud just took a shock to his system! Can he overcome it?!”

Cloud was breathing heavily and was on the verge of being defeated, which meant Aerith would be on her own, and there was no way she could overcome three opponents of this caliber without help. He could see her fighting with everything she had on the other end, but their enemies were just too experienced and powerful.

(“It’s like they knew everything about us………...who are they?”)

Tony appeared to read his concern as he spoke over the subdued opponent.

“You know, I’ve seen eyes like yours before. You are a special kind of fighter………… aren’t you, brother?”

Cloud looked up into the eyes of his opponent………he had never realized…………. there was no way.

A SOLDIER looked back into Cloud’s gaze before turning his head to study the battle happening in the distance. The strategy the Powerhands had used in the beginning was working; Aerith was stuck playing defense as she couldn’t get any shots off against the two opponents that were tiring her and her magic out as the fight continued.

Cloud tried to stand up but failed as he grimaced in pain before falling back to one knee. His body had about all the pain it could take as his breathing increased, and his heart struggled to keep up with the intensity of his blood pressure reaching extremely high levels.

Tony felt compassion in the act of standing over his defeated opponent. He was about to knock Cloud out but decided to speak before doing so as the blonde protested in anguish.

“You have known pain just like us, brother……….you know it’s not the pain that we are afraid of…… it’s the feelings that surround it…….the hurt we can deal with………..the burns, the scars, the wounds we have no fear of………but the loneliness………the isolation………..the emptiness……..”

Cloud tried to fight against the urge to pass out as Tony held him to the ground with a hand on his shoulder.

“The knowledge that you will never………”

He had to fight back; he couldn’t give in. He had to protect Aerith.

“BE……………”

This was his last chance; it was now or never.

“ENOUGH…………”

Tony was about to hit him over the head with one of his swords when Cloud struck the man with a point-blank headbutt right underneath the chin that was the only weak spot in the enemy’s armor as the other SOLDIER was caught entirely by surprise.

The crowd shouted in unison as Tony’s helmet came flying off his head, and the leader of the Powerhands hit the ground hard before slowly standing back up. The leader was incredibly angry and had blood coming out of his mouth. He must have bit into his tongue hard; lecturing Cloud was a mistake, and he realized this match was not yet over.

Aerith gave a little cheer off in the distance for Cloud’s counterattack as she resumed her defensive stalemate against the other two members of the Powerhands.

The mercenary of sector seven slowly stood up before picking up the buster sword and staring down the enemy that had already gotten the better of him once.

“You won’t fool me again, I’m ready for you now. It’s time to finish this…………”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time to see what our heroes are made of! This match has been a lot of fun to write about and the rest of the tournament shouldn't disappoint! Thank You so much for your feedback and support everyone. Got any comments, suggestions, feedback or criticism feel free to let me know!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tournament continues. Cloud and Aerith discover the price of victory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got an update finished! The tournament continues as the opponents increase in difficulty. Our power couple also discovers the price of strength. Hope everyone enjoys the new chapter and I thank you all for reading!

WHAT A STRONG BLOW TO THE HEAD! THAT ONE’S GOTTA HURT!

Kotch was giving his commentary on the last attack that made contact with Tony once Cloud was able to slip from his subdued position.  
The leader of the Powerhands had gone from gloating over his nearly defeated opponent to standing in an evenly matched position as Cloud regained his strength from the spell he had been hit with earlier.

“You won’t fool me again, I’m ready for you now. It’s time to finish this……...”

As the mercenary studied his opponent’s glare from their side of the ring, he made a realization that Aerith was still fighting both of her enemies and was holding her own against the two foes that kept trying to hit her with attack after attack.

And then it happened, just as Cloud’s fear returned about the two of them being separated. There was a magic spell he didn’t recognize.

The flower girl had cast a sizeable black orb towards the man opposing her on the left. The mighty fighter was hit by it and screamed in pain from the power of the magic.

Tony spun around to see his ally get hit and was now incredibly pissed off at the situation his team was now in. This was a complete reversal of fortunes as the commentary from Scotch sounded over the arena.

WOW! WHAT KIND OF SORCERY IS THIS?! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AERITH TAKES NO PRISONERS!

The spell did not appear to explode or cause any kind of external damage; instead, the power the materia had was used against the metal armor the Powerhands were wearing. Once it made contact, the effect appeared to be that the orb had caused gravity to increase on the defensive equipment that the man was wearing, and he could not get it off of him, so he hit the ground with a large thud.

The first of three Powerhands was disabled on the ground, struggling against the magic that held him facedown against the arena floor. He became immobile, and he was powerless to help his allies. It was now a two on two fight. The man did not appear to be hurt; he was just disabled and shouted to his partners with a muffled voice.

“I’m alright, but I can’t move! Finish the match!!!!”

Tony had resumed slashing his swords against Cloud, who was defending the attacks like he did earlier and had learned from his previous mistake. The duel had taught him to be prepared for the unexpected, and the lesson was well learned as Tony tried to hold him at bay with one sword and cast a lightning spell with the other.

Cloud was ready for this now; he struck the buster sword into the ground before swinging off of the handle and connecting with Tony’s arms just as the spell was about to cast. The other SOLDIER had to block, and the strength of the bodyguard’s roundabout kick made him fall back to the ground as the crowd cheered on the back and forth match taking place.

WHAT A MOVE BY CLOUD! HE IS ALL OVER THE FIELD TODAY!

The commentary cheered on the mako-eyed fighter’s ability to improvise as Tony jumped back up and removed his wrist and forearm attachments.  
The two short blades fell to the ground as Cloud pulled the buster sword up and stopped in his tracks. He stared open-eyed with confusion at the situation.

(“WHAT?!”)

The shock was short-lived as the leader of the Powerhands started shooting with two pistols that were hidden beneath the weapons he was using earlier. Removing the armor attachments and blades had also made Tony faster. The blasts were regular bullets, but that didn’t mean Cloud was out of the woods yet. He dodged and ducked each shot and blocked with his blade as he tried to get closer to his opponent.

After emptying both chambers in his pistols, Tony went to reload, and Cloud made his move.

The buster sword was close to making contact, but Tony was ready for the onslaught of slashes and melee attacks. Perfectly countering the swinging offensive with his guns being used as shields, the other SOLDIER sacrificed one of his pistols for the ability to reload the other while dodging in midair against another horizontal swipe from Cloud.

The attack missed, and Tony landed on his feet and pointed the gun at Cloud, who had no chance to block or dodge the weapon’s aim in time.

“Die.”

The bullet connected right below Cloud’s left arm. It hit his lower left side and felt like it bounced off one of his ribs.

OUR FAVORITE SWORDSMAN JUST TOOK A SHOT. THAT ONE MIGHT HURT A LITTLE BIT!

The crowd was cheering from the back and forth attacks that the two SOLDIERS were using on one another. This match almost felt like a one on one battle to the death as the onslaught continued.

Wincing in pain, Cloud leaned up against his sword when he finally caught a break. A fireball neither him nor Tony was expecting came barreling over the bodyguard’s shoulder and struck the other fighter’s chest at full speed before he could see what was happening.

The armor Tony was wearing cracked as the enemy team’s leader flew back and hit the wall from the attack’s strength.

Cloud spun to look back at the magic’s source.

Aerith was standing with her rod pointed towards Tony from her spot on the other side of the arena. The other member of the Powerhands was standing up slowly, but she looked a little worse than Cloud had noticed her from earlier. She was probably getting the wrong side of Aerith’s magic as her other ally had already been disabled.

Tony regained his footing and walked back towards Cloud with his gun in his hand. The enemy was remarkably calm for the situation as Aerith resumed her fight against the other team’s woman. Carbuncle had been dismissed as the battle continued in one on one fashion away from where Cloud and Tony were dueling.

“………………I should have known it was going to be like this.”

Tony held his gun in his hand and spoke over the crowd’s noises and commentary as Aerith and the other fighter battled each other away from the two SOLDIERS’.

Cloud nodded while feeling the amount of damage the gun-shot wound had done earlier. He felt lucky because the shot may have only been a minor sting. He spoke back to the other fighter.

“You sure you don’t want to surrender? Sorry, we can’t give up. I have a friend that needs my help. I can’t abandon her.”

Tony scoffed with a weak smile as he watched his ally fight against Aerith far from where he was standing. The girl in the pink dress was winning, and it would only be a matter of time before she teamed up with her boyfriend to finish him off. He had to get a move on.

“We all have loved ones and family to help I’m afraid. I wish you luck in saving your friend, but I must help my people, and I cannot fail. One of us is going to let someone down; either way, I am sorry to decline your offer.”

Cloud picked the buster sword back up as the match continued. The opponent threw his gun away and removed another blade hidden in a sheath at his side. This appeared to be the final weapon attached to his armor.

-

“WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!”

Corneo had resumed the act of shouting profanities in his giant leather chair while throwing his ashtray across the room and screaming insults at his lackeys for the turn of events he was witnessing in the arena below.

“Sure, you don’t want us to open the blinds, boss? A live view might suit you better because the action is so fast-paced down there.”

An assistant was conferring whether Corneo wanted to watch the action in person rather than on his television in the suite.

“NO, YOU IDIOT! I CAN’T CONDUCT BUSINESS IF I’M WATCHING THE MATCH IN PERSON!”

The Shinra Turk that stood nearby asked a simple question.

“You seem nervous, weren’t you going to bet on the new couple the last time we talked about them?”

Corneo put his hands to his forehead as he sighed with great strain in his voice.

“I WAS TOLD THE POWERHANDS WERE A LOCK! REST ASSURED!!!! THE PERSON WHO GAVE ME THAT AWFUL ADVICE WILL PAY FOR THEIR STUPIDITY!”

The man in black showed no emotion or care that Corneo was going to lose a lot of money on this match but shrugged in response as he studied what was happening on the screen.

“You win some, you lose some. It’s the truth every time you gamble. Doesn’t matter what the game is…………just a fact of life.”

The Don was not in the mood for life lessons.

“Pish Posh! That’s the case for everyone else, but I am above such nonsense.”

The crime lord pulled out his cell phone and was calling the pit crews below.

The answer came immediately on the other end.

“Yes, boss?”

Corneo was quick and to the point.

“Get me a line patched over to Chocobo Sam. Tell him he owes me a favor.”

The Turk from Shinra was curious.

“What are you thinking about now?”

The smile on the ugly man’s face grew wider as he waited for the Chocobo vendor to get on the other end of the line.

“That it’s time for plan b.”

-

The warehouse outside the sector six tunnel was a building full of possibilities. The wagons that pulled citizens all through the streets of Wall Market were serviced on a rotating basis with care and precision to prevent breakdowns from continued usage.

Inside of the large structure, tools and experiments were also housed that belonged to a particular criminal warlord. This man owned a majority of the black-market inventory that passed through shady enterprises as the ride service manager answered the office phone at the sound of the nearby ringing.

“Chocobo service station. Main street location here, how can I assis-”

The Don speaking on the other line jumped into the conversation without delay.

“Shutup and get your boss now!”

The manager immediately jumped up with an apologetic tone to Mr. Corneo as Sam was summoned to the telephone hastily.

“This is Sam.”

The instructions were quick.

“Come to my suite at the arena now!”

The line had been disconnected. Corneo did not wait for the response on the other end of the call.

Chocobo Sam sighed as he hung up the phone.

The manager noticed the behavior of the owner and wanted to know what was wrong.

“Anything I can do for you, sir?”

The bearded man in the cowboy hat smiled as he walked over to the building’s exit. He politely shook his head before heading out.

“Nah, I’m afraid an old debt of mine will have to be repaid soon, but it’s how luck goes in this town sometimes. Watch after the birds while I’m gone.”

The other man nodded in understanding as the indebted owner walked into the streets of Wall Market. He was headed towards the coliseum, where all the action was currently taking place.

-

< Several Nights Earlier: >

Tifa looked down at the floor of the Chocobo carriage that was taking her out of sector seven. She had decided on her own to visit Don Corneo to get to the bottom of the espionage taking place around Avalanche. It was only a matter of time before Shinra discovered the group members in the slums and where their hideout was located.

Before any of that could happen, Tifa needed to determine why men were investigating the group from other sectors in the slums. If she could get straight answers about the situation, Barret and the others could use that information to their advantage. They wouldn’t have to play defense all of the time against Shinra’s underground network of information and spies.

The best tactic would be to pretend to audition for a role with Don Corneo as a potential bride. It was the only way to get close enough to speak with him one on one. Tifa wasn’t worried about becoming picked for that part either. If she was selected, it would give her the means she needed to manipulate information out of him, and she could return to the rest of the gang with the priceless knowledge being sought out.

As the hazel eyes stared down in defeat, Tifa reminisced about the events from mako reactor five when it exploded. The blast had been powerful, so impactful, so full of force that it caused Cloud to fall. He fell to the depths of Midgar. Never to return, she would never understand why.

(“I’m so sorry, Cloud. That should never have happened to you. We should never have relied on you to come with us.”)

The gate to sector seven was opening in the background. Tifa held her head down in the blue dress she wore to impress the criminal warlord in sector six. There were specific characteristics the Don wanted in every woman that arrived in his mansion. Knowing the risks and understanding what was required had caused Tifa to change her apparel before leaving the bar. The selected choice of an outfit revealed her legs and arms as the soft mannered girl kept her face pointed towards the ground.

“Tifa!”

That voice. No, it was not possible.

Cloud was running up to the carriage and jumped on the back to talk with his childhood friend.

The martial artist was beside herself in shock and surprise.

“Cloud! You’re alive! I thought we lost you!”

She needed to keep her thoughts together. There would be more time to talk with Cloud later. For now, there was another task to complete. An essential one that would require all of her strength and skill to overcome.

The confused friend didn’t know what was going on.

“What are you doing? Where are you-?”

Tifa put a finger to her lips to quiet the concern.

“I don’t have a lot of time to explain. Right now, I am on my way to see Don Corneo. You should go back to Seventh Heaven and meet up with the gang. I’ll be fine on my own.”

Cloud was not ok with this. Tifa could see a girl she didn’t know jogging behind him in the background. She wore a pink dress and was incredibly beautiful. Who was she?

The SOLDIER was about to protest.

“But-”

The hazel-eyed girl reassured her friend.

“It’ll be fine! You’ve seen how much ass I can kick.”

There was a slight smile on her face as Tifa put a hand over her heart to show Cloud she wasn’t afraid.

The mercenary nodded as he looked back towards her eyes.

“I have.”

Following his acknowledgment, Cloud let go of the rail, and the carriage pulled further away to enter the outskirts of Wall Market.

Tifa found a bounce in her emotions as the wagon stopped in front of the large mansion at the end of the trail. Seeing her friend alive brought her out of the depths of her depression. The soft-spoken warrior could proceed with her plan now.

“Follow me.”

The driver had signaled for the raven-haired girl to walk to the front gate.

(“Time to pick up my game. I cannot fail. There are too many lives at stake.”)

-

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE BEEN SPOILED TONIGHT! WHAT A BATTLE!

Scotch and Kotch were both elated from the length and quality of fighting as Cloud and Tony once again traded blows. Both warriors’ swords were striking against one another repeatedly as the stalemate continued.

The issue was not Cloud’s strength or speed. The opponent he was matched up against equaled him in every category, but there was one problem that had not been figured out yet.

(“How did they know about our fighting styles? How did they know about Aerith’s magic?”)

Cloud kept that concern in the back of his mind as Tony lunged forward to thrust his saber into the mercenary’s chest.

The bodyguard blocked the attack and swiped back at the other SOLDIER, who was too quick to hit the counterattack.

Far behind the dueling men, the women of the match were fighting on the other side to the crowd’s cheers and shouts.

“Get her Aerith! Use your magic!”

Whatever spell had been used on the third member of the Powerhands must have been permanent because the man had stopped protesting and shouting against the gravity spell’s effect. The armor must have forced him against the arena floor like super glue.   
The man simply could not get up and was useless for the remainder of the match.

The woman from the other team was formidable but was losing her ground. Aerith had mainly played defense when it was two against one. Now that the odds were even, the flower girl had started firing everything she had at the other female opponent, and the power of her attacks were taking a toll on the other foe.

“Tony! I can’t hold her back much longer!”

The shout could be heard on the other side of the fight as Tony clashed with Cloud for what must have been the thousandth time the two had traded attacks.

The Powerhands were extremely skilled in the areas of fighting. Cloud was worried in the beginning about being outmatched but never took Aerith’s incredible magical prowess into consideration. There were many spells she had in her repertoire he had not seen before, and the flower girl never backed down from a fight. As their time together progressed, he realized she would be the key to them winning this tournament.

The other team leader decided to change strategy and slashed at the ground in front of Cloud. After the dirt and rocks splashed over the bodyguard, he realized too late that Tony was running full speed towards Aerith.

“Aerith! LOOK OUT!”

Cloud had followed in full pursuit. The two fighters charged full-throttle towards their allies, and Aerith could see the enemy closing in the distance. The opposing swordsman was close and raised his weapon to dispose of her or at least knock her staff out of her hands.

The Cetra wasn’t afraid as another new attack was shown that got the entire arena once again on their feet.

Tony was hit with a purple crystal at close range. The spikes from the attack had stuck to his remaining armor, and before he could respond to the damage, the crystal exploded gloriously.

The crowd was in a frenzy as Kotch shouted over the cheers.

“THAT WAS THE COOLEST ATTACK I’VE EVER SEEN! IS THAT MAN OK?! THAT ONE MIGHT HAVE DONE HIM IN!”

When the smoke cleared, Cloud moved over by Aerith to see Tony on his back; most of his armor was now broken and scattered across the arena floor.

“Let’s hope that keeps him down. He’s very powerful.”

Aerith nodded at Cloud’s words.

The last member of the Powerhands was fearful as she shook her leader’s body with worry on her face.

“Get up, Tony, you are way too strong to go out like this.”

The sentiment was indeed true as the leader opened his eyes and stood up slowly. He picked up his sword and looked back at Cloud and Aerith. There was a rage in his eyes; he was slowly losing his calm nature and was being ushered towards anger and frustration as the fight continued. His ally stood at his side with her weapon in her hands. She appeared ready to follow her ally, even if it meant death.

The enemy looked at the power couple and was processing how the battle was taking shape. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

(“How?......................... How are they so strong? We can’t give up………………We won’t.”)

The fight continued as Aerith cast another fire blast towards their opponents, and Cloud ran forward with his buster sword.

Tony deflected the fire spell with his weapon and was trading strikes with Cloud once again when Aerith had finally overtaken her opponent.

There was a cry of pain as the woman on the Powerhands had been hit with a lightning strike and went to the ground. Tony backed away from Cloud to kneel over his ally. Aerith walked up to Cloud’s side as they both showed no sign of letting up. The formidable duo stared Tony down as the mercenary spoke over the sounds of the arena once again.

“It’s two against one now. Give it up. We don’t want to hurt you.”

Aerith echoed Cloud’s words with her expression; she had great concern on her face. It was usual for the flower girl to show care and kindness to all living creatures, but she felt great apprehension at the people they were fighting. These warriors were stronger than most of the men, women, robots, and monsters they had met before now. They were fighting for something important, just like the power couple that requested they stop the battle now.

THE MATCH IS NOW TWO AGAINST ONE! CAN THE POWERHANDS OVERCOME OUR BLOODTHIRSTY COUPLE?!

Scotch was shouting his commentary to the action. Tony was talking to his weakened companion.

“You’re going to be ok. I’ll keep fighting. I won’t let them win. Just stay down………... ok?”

The woman was in tears, she didn’t want to stop fighting, but she was beaten. There was hardly any energy left as she held her leader’s hand with her own and let go in protest. Tony stood up and walked over to stare down Cloud and Aerith.

“To hell with this............. I have not had to fight to the death in a long time, but I can promise you both............ I will never surrender. You are going to have to kill me. I will throw everything I have at you, and even if you win…......”

The enemy’s eyes glowed brilliantly with anger as he held his sword with every vein pulsing in his arms as the grip tightened on the handle.

“..............Your victory will feel more like defeat by the time I am done. You are about to feel my wrath.”

Cloud slashed at his opponent’s form as the two once again traded blows. Aerith was sending shots of magic at Tony as the match continued. The crowd resumed their shouts of cheer for the glorious spectacle taking place in the arena.

-

< Some time ago.>

“Wait here until the Don is ready to see you. Do not go anywhere or touch anything in this room, or you will regret it.”

Tifa was now standing in the personal office of Don Corneo. The room showed a certain flair of magnificence as the raven-haired fighter studied all of the art, weapons, furniture, and contraband surrounding her in the large space.

(“He certainly lives an extravagant lifestyle............ I wonder what kind of person he is behind all of this.”)

The thoughts were shortly considered as Scotch and Kotch walked through the double doors nearby to present the obnoxious man himself.  
“Presenting! The man, the myth, THE LEGEND! Don Corneo!”

There was no applause as Corneo waltzed into the room with a triumph of self-importance. He stormed up to Tifa and giggled menacingly when he saw her after he entered the room.

“My! My! My!”

The Don was smiling and practically licking his lips as he scanned Tifa’s body up and down without permission. He was standing dangerously close, and the soft-spoken girl tried not to shake in disgust as she was being sized up by the disgusting figure that hovered around her.

“Oh yes...........yes indeed!.............what a sweet thing............. I think you will do nicely!”

Tifa had enough and needed to say something to interrupt the perversion that was annoying her to no end.

“Gracious Don Corneo, I am honored to make your acquaintance. If it pleases you, I have a favor to ask.”

Tifa reached out a hand in politeness that the Don was more than happy to take as he kissed the top of her hand and held it in his own without letting go.

The criminal gangster smiled a wicked smile of arrogance as he ordered his lackeys to exit.

“Leave us; I wish to be alone with my new bride. There will be no auditions this time around. This is the perfect flower for me.”

Scotch and Kotch laughed before they walked through the doors and closed them behind their departure.

“Now my dear, I believe you had a favor to ask me?”

Before Tifa could speak, the Don interrupted; he was probably used to telling others what to do on a consistent basis.

“But before you do, let me tell you, it’s not normal for me to pick a bride right off the bat like this. You are one extremely lucky lady! I can’t wait to take you around my room tonight! Oh, yes, we are going to have so much fun together!”

Tifa was trying not to vomit as she held her cool. She could not freak out about the situation she was in. Being alone with Corneo was the perfect scenario for discovering more about Shinra’s underground network. The martial artist was in disguise and had to play everything correctly to find out more. The closer she got to the disgusting person in front of her, the better Avalanche would be.

“That does sound like fun; I can’t wait for you to show me all of it.”

(“If he tries anything, ................ I’ll have to dropkick him in the face.”)

The fighter for Avalanche repressed a sigh as Corneo led her deeper into the heart of his mansion.

-

“Keep your distance. This isn’t over.”

Cloud instructed Aerith to stay back as he traded swipes with Tony again. The flower girl nodded as she supported their skirmish with healing spells for her partner and small shots of magic thrown at their opponent.

Tony was in over his head as he had to fight Cloud with renewed energy and a magical spellcaster that was out of his reach. The opposing SOLDIER was strong, but there was only so much he could do against such a power couple that would overwhelm him at any minute.

It was time for a drastic course of action.

The last fighter for the Powerhands slashed at the ground again to scatter rocks and dirt into the air. The shrapnel worked as a kind of smokescreen when Cloud realized too late what his strategy was.

The bodyguard spun around in horror when he realized what Tony was trying to achieve. The maneuver was brilliant. The other fighter’s speed was unreal as he met the spellcaster in the blink of an eye.

Aerith’s staff was knocked out of her hands before she could counter the assault. She then tried to throw a punch at her opponent and was knocked down. The flower girl was powerful with magic, but hand to hand combat wasn’t her specialty.

Tony picked her up by her hair with one hand forcefully and held his sword to her neck with the other. He was standing behind Aerith with his eyes on Cloud, who stared at him with a furious gaze and shouted as the crowd gasped in close attention.

“WHAT A CHANGE OF EVENTS! WHAT WILL CLOUD DO?!”

“Let her go!”

Tony shook his head as he held the blade dangerously closer to Aerith’s neck. The Cetra tried to pull away from his grip. She couldn’t get out of his grasp; the opponent’s hold was too strong. He would not let go of her.

“Throw down your weapon.”

Cloud immediately dropped the buster sword and raised his hands in the air.

“If you hurt her, I will not only destroy you. I will kill both of your allies and make you wish you never walked on this planet.”

The words were a bluff, and Cloud knew it, but he had to put up a front against this level of blackmail. This enemy needed to move forward in the tournament, but Cloud and Aerith were in a similar predicament. He had to get his partner out of danger first; he was worried sick about the situation they were in.

“Don’t listen to him, Cloud! Please! Keep fighting! Don’t worry about me!”

Tony held his other hand over the flower girl’s mouth, and Aerith instinctively bit his hand. The other SOLDIER winced in pain before smacking her over the head.

Cloud was furious. Aerith took a nasty blow and wasn’t able to fight back against her captor.

“STOP IT!”

Tony wasn’t in the mood to listen to either of them.

“Surrender, or she dies! I HAVE HAD IT WITH BOTH OF YOU!”

Cloud would never put Aerith in danger on purpose. He would listen to Tony before he let anything happen to her. The blonde’s hands remained up in the air to show he wasn’t trying anything sneaky or stupid.

“Ok............. I’ll surrender.............just let her go..............please.”

The enemy shook his head.

“NO! I wasn’t born yesterday. Walk over to the door and leave the arena, or she’ll die, and I’ll kill you next!”

Aerith was still conscious as the crowd gasped at the scenario. Scotch and Kotch were speaking softly because of the tension in the air. None of the actions taking place were against the rules. Tony was well within the event boundaries to use Aerith as a prisoner to force Cloud to surrender.

The situation was helpless. 

Cloud started to walk towards the gate when Aerith looked at him and shook her eyes to either side. She was trying to signal something, and he did not know what she was going to do. He wouldn’t listen; either way, he loved this woman more than he had ever loved anyone. If Aerith died, he would lose more than his fighting partner. He would lose so much. The tournament was not worth the risk. They would have to find another way to reach Tifa; it would be ok.

“Aerith and Cloud look down for the count. Can they overcome this obstacle of fate that lies before them? Ladies and Gentlemen, what a match.”

Kotch had spoken at an average volume over the soft atmosphere as everyone was on the edge of their seats in quiet anticipation to see Cloud walk over to the gate.

-

Don Corneo was chuckling with glee as the current fight had finally started going his way.

“HA HA HA! I KNEW IT! I KNEW THEY WOULD WIN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER! THAT MAN IS INCREDIBLE! GIVE HIM A BONUS AFTER THIS ROUND!”

The Shinra Turk at Corneo’s side kept his arms crossed as he studied the screen.

“The fight is still not over yet.”

The Don was not impressed.

“Please. There is nothing that spiky-haired boy can do now. Love is never something worth fighting for.”

The man in black responded.

“Sounds a little heartless for a man that gets married every other day to say out loud.”

The criminal warlord chuckled as he lit another cigar.

“I am a man of many talents. My brides are just playthings that I turn loose when I’m done with them.”

There was a knock on the door. A nearby lackey went outside to see what was going on. The lackey returned and announced a visitor to the room.

“Chocobo Sam has arrived, boss.”

Corneo was chuckling with approval.

“Excellent! Please send him in.”

Sam was not happy about visiting the Don personally, but he always did as he was told when the big boss summoned him to his side. The Chocobo vendor removed his hat and waited for his orders.

“Anything new around these parts, boss?”

Corneo took a puff of his cigar and returned the question with an answer.

“I need you to do something for me, my good man.”

The Don was neither upset nor happy with his Chocobo supplier. The two had pretty much decided to have a mutual business relationship, and it so happened that Sam owed Corneo a favor. The Don was more than happy to cash in favors when the situation called for them.

Sam casually looked around the room. The tournament below was in full session, and this was probably going to be a favor to increase the Don’s odds at winning a match below.

“Whatever you need, just let me know.”

The large man smiled as he gave his orders.

“Your armored bots will need to be handicapped in the next round. We won’t want them to win their match. The crowd will have all of their bets on Cutty and Sweepy. I will have my Gil on the other team, whoever that ends up being.”

Chocobo Sam was not happy about this; he needed to keep those bots running smoothly for future projects, and if they were damaged in battle, that would hurt his bottom line.

“But surely you-”

Corneo gave Sam a deadly glare.

The vendor gave up his excuse and nodded in understanding.

“Fine then, I will make sure they don’t win their match.”

The Don nodded and spoke over the concern.

“Yes, you will do as you are told, and don’t forget who makes the rules in this sector. You may own the birds, but I own the roads and the people who use them. You have done us both a good service tonight.”

Sam had already walked back towards the door and put his hat back on before turning around. There was one last parting shot he needed to take.

“This makes us even. Neither of us owes the other any favors anymore.”

Corneo took another puff off of his cigar.

“Well, I can agree with that. Don’t let lady luck fail you tonight. We are both going to need her before this tournament is over.”

The bearded man was about to leave when the Don had one last message.

“And Sam.”

The cowboy turned around to look at the big boss one more time.

“Yes?”

The cigar was still in the large man’s mouth.

“We will need you in the arena for a coin toss later.”

-

People in the crowd were protesting the results and shouting encouragement towards Cloud as he approached the gate.

“Don’t let him win, Cloud!”

“Don’t give up! Aerith doesn’t want you to give up!”

“He’s fighting dirty! Give him a taste of his own medicine! Use your sword against one of his allies!”

The last suggestion was interesting, but Cloud would not resort to such cheap tactics. The Powerhands were formidable, and Tony was one of the strongest men the mercenary had ever fought. The enemy had Aerith in his clutches, and the SOLDIER from Nibelheim was powerless to continue unless she got free.

(“It would take a small miracle to get out of this, but we will find another way. I’m sorry, Aerith............. I can’t let you die.”)

Just as all hope seemed lost, Cloud looked back at Tony’s hold of his partner. Aerith wasn’t giving up. She fought to reach a hand horizontally, and her staff was summoned into her grip again.

(“WHAT?!”)

Cloud didn’t have time to think about it. The crowd was going nuts as the other SOLDIER tried to hold the flower girl down when another blast got the entire coliseum roaring with cheers.

THAT GIRL IS A TICKING TIME BOMB! WHAT A SPELL! CAN SHE GET AWAY?!

The blast was similar to the earthquake/lighting strike that touched down against Beck’s Badasses in the last round. Tony shouted with frustration as Aerith escaped from his clutches, and the fight continued.

Cloud was running faster than he ever had in his life as Aerith fell to the floor. Her jacket had been ripped getting away from the other fighter, but she appeared to be ok. The flower girl of sector five immediately sent the most enormous fireball Cloud had ever seen at their opponent and didn’t stop with just one.

Several blasts of incredible size and magical ability were raining down on the other fighter, who was doing everything in his power to deflect and avoid the magical bombardment. Cloud had stood next to Aerith’s side in a defensive position as the onslaught continued. The Cetra had looks of frustration and fury in her eyes as she cast spell after spell at the last opponent.

After the chain of attacks finally subsided, the enemy was battered with a blast that knocked him to his knees. The crowd was screaming, Aerith and Cloud were running up to Tony’s weakened position, and the fighter from sector seven held his blade over the opposing leader’s arm as he tried to pick up his weapon.

Aerith pointed her rod right at Tony’s face as the battle had finally finished. Scotch and Kotch were screaming the results to the crowd, and the entire coliseum roared with excitement at the end of what was the most fantastic match that had occurred in the tournament of champions.

“It’s over.”

Tony looked back up at Cloud and reached for his weapon. This was a stupid move.

Cloud swiped down at the saber when Tony had lunged for it. The blade broke, and the Powerhands sole remaining fighter held a broken sword handle in his grip now. He was still on his knees as Cloud held his buster sword up in anger because the enemy just wouldn’t quit.

“Please don’t!”

The woman lying on her back shouted as she turned her head to look at Cloud and Aerith. She barely had the energy to speak as she had been struck unconscious earlier and was just starting to hold her eyes open after the beating she took in the middle of the fight.

“He’s just trying to save our village. Tony couldn’t give up. I know he hurt you both, but this tournament was everything to us. It was our last chance to rescue our people. Please.............show mercy. I know you are both good people............ don’t kill him.”

The woman’s words appeared to have softened Cloud’s anger. The buster sword was lowered.

Tony scoffed in disgust at Cloud’s reaction. He spit blood out of his mouth as he looked up at his opponents.

“You’re too soft.........................the battle isn’t over YET!”

With one last act of defiance, Tony’s weapon was thrown point blank at Cloud’s face as the bodyguard’s eyes widened in shock at the final act of insanity. The fight was supposed to be over; the power couple had won, and this attack was beyond pointless.

Cloud barely had time to block the throw with his sword, but a cry of pain caused the mercenary’s heart to drop in his chest.

Turning in shock and frustration, Cloud saw that Aerith was holding her arm. The ricocheted broken handle had bounced off of the buster sword and hit her near the shoulder. The wound drew blood as the flower girl looked upset but otherwise, she was ok.

Rage..............Fury..............Red hot anger that boiled over Cloud’s emotions pulsed through his body as he stared down the defeated SOLDIER that looked at him with cold, dead, mako eyes. The man on his knees mocked his opponent.

“I look forward to seeing you in hell................brother.”

Aerith held her hand up too late when Cloud lifted the buster sword and swiped at Tony’s head with full force. No one was close enough to stop the attack.

The decapitation caused the crowd to roar in approval as Cloud and Aerith received a standing ovation now that the match had finally finished.

The flower girl had a sad look on her face as she stared at her partner with disapproval.

(“Cloud....................”)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got any suggestions, feedback, comments, or criticism? Let me know what you think! I appreciate all of the kind words from everyone and I look forward to posting the next update!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tournament continues! What challenges await the power couple as they proceed further into dangerous and destructive matches?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with continuing this work. I had it written out several times and just couldn't bring myself to find how I wanted to continue it. Either way, I want to say how appreciative I am of all the people who have reached out to me and offered encouragement all the times I have posted works on here. You are all amazing and for those who are still reading, I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

"Do you understand what the stakes are now?!"

Don Corneo sat in his suite talking to the Shinra Turk who had just finished making a round of phone calls before addressing the criminal warlord. The man in black's demeanor seemed unchanged as the large leader started barking in his direction.

"Nothing has changed on my end; I couldn't care less about how much money you have lost in all of this."

Corneo's vein started bulging on the side of his face. His eyes and mouth trended towards expressions of rage and unabashed anger.

The funny shaped criminal quickly jumped to his feet and shoved a finger towards the unimpressed employee of Shinra.

"YOU WILL WHEN YOUR ENTIRE DEPARTMENT IS DECOMMISSIONED, AND YOUR STUPID ARROGANCE GETS YOU THROWN OUT OF THAT IVORY TOWER YOU SLEEP IN EVERY NIGHT!"

The Turk showed a calm expression as he nodded towards Corneo and spoke softly to lower the tension building in the room.

"Mark my words, we have an agreement that will not be broken, and no amount of money will keep me from honoring that covenant."

Corneo slowly sat down and nodded; he looked like a giant balloon being slowly deflated of air as the night continued.

"Very well, you have your instructions. This was a setback, although a costly one. I know you won't disappoint me. Return when you have finished your task. TELL NO ONE about what is in store! REMEMBER THAT!"

The man on the other side of the suite agreed and walked out of the room. The large gangster pressed a button on his chair's side to summon his subordinates to the room.

"Scotch, tell Kotch and the others to return to my suite. We must prepare for the next part of the tournament. AND BRING ME AN ASPIRIN!"

-

-Some time ago-

"And do I have proof that you can keep a secret?"

Tifa stood in the middle of Corneo's bedroom. Outside of the oversized bed, the hideously colored carpet, and the other furniture nearby, the space was empty.

The person on the other side of Tifa's phone call responded to her inquiry.

"Well, where are you at right now?"

The hazel eyes studied their surroundings in every direction before rolling in frustration at the scenario they were trapped in.

"If I told you................... I don't think you would believe me. Can you do it or not?"

There was a pause as the man on the other side of the phone pondered the earlier request.

"Sure, you know I would do anything for you, Tifa! Just name the time and place, and I'll be there!"

The girl in the gleaming blue dress carefully instructed her friend about where she would be when she planned her future escape from Corneo's crime network.

"Meet me outside of sector six near the east tunnels outside of wall market at the time we discussed before. Bring everything I asked about and trust no one with this information. Got it?"

There was a minor disagreement as the friend promised to obey the wishes of the martial artist. There was a final plea for more as the call came closer to an end.

"I know you won't tell me where you are or what you are going to do, but you'll stay safe..............right Tifa?! Please don't do anything stupid."

The raven-haired girl chuckled as she answered the request.

"Well, I'm not sure about any of that yet. Remember, trust no one. There are too many lives at stake if I'm right about this."

The answer was quick and to the point.

"You got it, and please be careful."

The martial artist closed her slim cell phone and placed it back inside her inner dress pocket out of sight.

She had just finished an extended tour of the mansion with the Don before he was called away on business and had his "prize" taken away for the night.

Tifa quietly scoffed in disgust as she was led to Corneo's bedroom. The space showed little in terms of character or interest.

As the bartender of Seventh Heaven studied the room further, she recoiled in disgust at finding a pair of handcuffs hidden partly under the bedframe.

("I need to get out of here before this hideous idiot tries anything else later.")

Going through the furniture proved pointless. There were some robes and different clothing types in the room, but nothing useful or sensitive as far as information was concerned.

("He wouldn't keep anything like that in here anyway, maybe I can slip back over to his office if I sweet talk him into it?")

Just as Tifa started formulating a plan, the doorknob nearby turned as the soft-spoken girl stopped looking through the room and quickly sat down on the bed to pretend to show a sense of innocence.

A lackey stood in the doorway and motioned for her to follow him.

"The boss wants you to come with us. He has finished with his visitors tonight and wishes to see you in his office."

Tifa couldn't believe her luck.

("Well...............that worked out well.")

"How nice."

The attractive girl faked a smile, and polite response then followed the lackeys out of the room.

-

-Present Day-

The other two members of the Powerhands stood across from Aerith and Cloud in the nearby waiting room. Aerith insisted that they apologize to Tony's teammates about what happened right after being escorted to their own space. Cloud nodded without saying anything in response.

A match had just kicked off in the background. The noise from the cheering and onslaught of battle filled the quiet atmosphere. Still, nobody around the calm staging area was paying any attention.

Entering the room was simple enough, and both of their former opponents stood up when they saw who approached.

Before anyone else could speak, the woman who begged for Cloud to spare her partner had looked up with sorrow and frustration before giving an apology of her own.

"Tony never knew when to quit.................. I'm sorry he took that match as far as he did."

Every person in the room looked exhausted and miserable. The man who was Tony's teammate had yet to say a word and just stared down at the ground.

Aerith responded quickly and with great respect in her voice.

"He seemed to be a very prideful man; please don't apologize to us. Cloud and I never wanted for this to happen. We hold no anger towards either of you, and I hope you will forgive us for what happened."

The flower girl's lip had been bleeding from the earlier fight, and her jacket was torn. There was dirt all over her arms, and her shoulder looked like it needed medical attention. Yet she was here, apologizing to their former opponents because of the way the match ended.

Cloud moved his eyes towards Aerith after she gave her version of their apology. The mercenary was terrible at situations like this. He was personally responsible for ending Tony's life, but he had several good reasons for doing this. Their opponent had used Aerith's own life as a bargaining chip to blackmail Cloud and get the power couple to surrender in the heat of battle. He also tried to hit Cloud with a broken sword handle at point-blank range when the fight was over. Aerith had gotten injured because of this, and the blonde fighter became furious.

It was because of the fury in that instant that Cloud ended Tony's life. 

The very soul that drove and led the Powerhands into the tournament and had gotten them so far. This force was now extinguished. The remaining fighters from that battle had to look forward as the awkward group of four stood together while trying to understand what it was all for.

"You said he was trying to save your village?"

The other two opponents looked up at Cloud as he asked an interesting question. Aerith also looked at her bodyguard's face with curious intrigue.  
The woman spoke softly and depressingly.

"Yes, Tony had us fight for the prize money to save what was left of our people's village."

Cloud wanted to know more. He was terrible at apologizing and didn't feel the need to because of the danger Aerith had been put in multiple times because of the slain SOLDIER.

Asking about their motivations could lower everybody's misery and help them both understand what their opponents were risking in their battle together.

"How would the prize money have helped? What would he have done if you had completed the tournament together?"

The man looked up and opened his eyes a little wider.

"What's it to you? We don't have a chance now because of-"

The woman interrupted her ally and spoke over the anger coming from her partner.

"What he means to say is that Tony and this tournament was our last hope. Everyone we live with will now have to move on towards a new way of life. Nobody else was strong enough to win a tournament like this. Tony knew he would need help, and the three of us agreed to fight for a better future. That dream is now over, and we will go home to pack everything away and face a new future. One that is long overdue."

Aerith looked at the Powerhands with sadness. Cloud's vision didn't change. The woman continued.

"We all knew about the risks of combat. Tony especially......................we won't hold his death against you..............especially because of how he used your wife as a hostage to try to get you to surrender."

The flower girl was about to interrupt this misconception that she was married to Cloud when her partner spoke first.

"I wasn't happy about that but when a man like us........................when a SOLDIER fights a battle. He fights with every tactic he can use.................every tool he can reach........................he never lets up. Your captain or your leader............ Tony.........he was a true SOLDIER, and I won't apologize for killing him, but I will remember him with honor. Not because of how he fought but because of the purpose he fought and the people he was fighting for, and I do wish both of you well on your return home. Thank you for accepting Aerith's apology."

The other man on the Powerhands still looked upset but walked over to Cloud without saying anything. The room filled with a strange silence as the man stood in front of the swordsman, and for a minute, it seemed another fight was about to take place as the staredown continued.

Cloud felt out of place when a hand was extended towards him. The man was giving his final farewell and wanted to part on good terms.

"You are the strongest team we have ever fought. I know he would congratulate you if he were still alive, and he wouldn't hold this loss against you. I won't hold it against you either, and I just have one wish for you and your wife."

This was the second time their opponents mentioned them as a married couple, and Aerith wasn't going to say anything in response to this. She stared at Cloud to see what he was going to do because of it, and to her absolute surprise, he did not correct the man offering his hand.

Cloud shook the hand firmly and answered. "What is your wish?"

The man stood straight up and nodded in a sign of respect.

"That you both win this tournament. Never give up and protect each other. Do that, and I won't hold anything against either of you. Goodnight."

The woman would not smile because of her grief, but she watched her partner walk out of the room and echoed his farewell.

"What he said, do that, and we won't keep any grudges. Thank You for your kindness; there aren't many teams left in this world that would visit us after the match. You are both special...................just like Tony was...............goodnight."

"Wait."

Cloud had to ask one last thing. The woman stopped at the door.

"Yes?"

"Your village.........where is it?"

The woman answered politely before leaving the room.

"What's left of it is just outside of Mideel."

Aerith waited a minute before speaking to Cloud. She wanted to let the previous feelings dissipate from the earlier conversation.

"You saved me again tonight, Cloud."

The blonde fighter put his hands back at his sides and looked over at his partner. They were now alone in the waiting room.

"I don't feel like I did, I feel like I put you in more danger than I ever have an-"

A delicate finger was put to his lips as the flower girl was standing dangerously close to her bodyguard once more. Cloud's face felt red as he realized Aerith wasn't in the mood for his self-doubt.

"There is something I need you to tell me."

Cloud had no idea what Aerith was about to say. There was so much to unpack as the night felt longer than ever. The ancient's face showed a lot of mystery as she spoke over her partner's troubled expression with a hint of a smile. Would she be upset about Tony's death? Would she be disappointed in him for losing control in that moment of fury? Would she want to tell him she couldn't continue as his partner any longer because of the increased danger they faced in every round?

The worried swordsman held his breath as he waited for the flower girl's next words.

"When did we get married?"

The mercenary almost fainted at the question. He stared at his lovely partner with absolute disbelief at her sense of humor and spoke louder than he meant to after she had teased him.

"What are you talking about?!"

Aerith's smile grew in size as she pulled Cloud's arms around her delicate waist and stood right in front of him. She wasn't going to let him go without an answer.

"They both said I was your wife, and you didn't correct either of them."

Cloud's face was deeply red now, and he didn't know how he would talk himself out of this. He realized the mistakes the other team had made earlier. Still, the room's feeling didn't deserve any corrections on labeling either of them as a couple or as husband and wife. Any stranger who didn't know Cloud or Aerith could easily interpret them as romantic or husband and wife if they had yet to meet them regardless. 

They did spend all of that time in sectors five and six together, after all.

"I didn't think it was important enough to corr-"

Aerith interrupted Cloud's sentence with a loving embrace. She wasn't going to wait any longer, and Cloud stopped talking because of the hug.

Never in a million years would Cloud have expected to be holding Aerith like this in the Coliseum waiting room after a battle of that magnitude and result. Regardless of the circumstances, the SOLDIER returned the affection with his body, lifting Aerith slightly off the ground and holding her close to his embrace.

Once they had slightly let up, the flower girl took a step back to speak over the moment.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. What were you going to s-"

Cloud interrupted this time by returning her affection with his own, and the passion continued. The two locked onto one another with strong urges that had yet to be fulfilled as a powerful desire to fall horizontally and continue their embrace started to take over both of them.

Usually, Cloud would have felt awkward holding Aerith in such a close manner but surviving a dangerous battle had brought his desire to cherish the flower girl to an all-time high. The swordsman could have held her body for the rest of the day if he knew it would keep her safe. Something else overcame his soft, blank, expressionless emotion as the need for intimacy rose above the still air in the room.

Just as the scene was about to become more intense, the door to the room burst open, and a familiar face looked at them both with shock and surprise.

Kyle stared at them both with extreme disbelief. There was a strong hint of Deja vu that this was a scene he had already witnessed before.

"ARE YOU BOTH SERIOUS?!"

Cloud and Aerith calmly let each other go and tried to hide their shame. They weren't doing very well at this. The color on their faces highlighted the embarrassment.

The gatekeeper shook his head and shouted his instructions at the power couple.

"What's gonna happen after the next match?! You both going to go at it on the table or something?! Keep your hands off each other for the next ten minutes and meet with the officials in the arena. GEEZ! Cutty and Sweepy just annihilated the Skull Crushers, so be careful if you fight them in the next round! I like you both but save all of that for your hotel! NOT MY LOBBY!"

The door was slammed in frustration as Kyle stormed off to speak to the other fighters nearby.

Aerith looked at Cloud with a funny smirk after what had happened before saying anything else.

"Well...............he did say to save it for our room. You think he'd just leave us alone at this point. It's almost like he doesn't want me to kiss you."

Cloud could not help but chuckle at Aerith's moxie.

"I'm glad you're here with me. I want to protect you.................but I haven't been doing a good job. I'm sorry that-"

Aerith wouldn't let Cloud beat himself up.

"I'm rather good at protecting myself, you know! I had him right where I wanted before you jumped in to save the day!"

The bodyguard took the flower girl's hand in his own.

"Whatever happens, stay close, alright. We will walk out of here together. I know we will."

The girl from sector five rested her head on the SOLDIER'S shoulder before responding.

"Yes, we will."

Cloud had to ask. "Is your shoulder ok?"

Aerith chuckled and looked away for a second. "It will be; you worry too much."

-

-Some Time Ago-

Don Corneo was sitting in his large office that represented glory and power to Wall Market's citizens. Anyone who visited the underside of sector six could see the mansion as gigantic. The hustle and bustle of counterfeit goods, dangerous weapons, and black-market items moved through the entire background of the oversized place of business.

"Remember to get those out to the dock. Don't forget to take the Gil for the bribes."

A few lackeys nodded before walking away from Corneo's main supply room. Kotch and Scotch stood nearby to announce another arrival.

"Your bride has returned, boss."

The mischievous smile echoed through the room as the Don bounced up into an eager posture. He appeared to be ready for romance as he welcomed his new "prize" back to his side.

"Come in, my dear! Please come inside! ALL OF YOU! GET LOST!"

Everyone but Scotch and Kotch left the room at once as Tifa walked up to the large executive chair the oversized man was standing next to.

"It's impressive, isn't it, my dear?"

The well-dressed woman didn't know if Corneo was referring to his office, his list of black-market goods, his chair, or something a little more perverted as the hazel eyes studied their surroundings. Nevertheless, she had been called back to the main office of business for a reason and needed to probe to find out why.

("I have to be careful how I approach this.")

The brown eyes continued to study as Tifa asked the next question. Her voice was soft and lovely, even though her words came out in a pretend fashion.

"You wanted to see me again? Did you miss me that much already?"

A soft chuckle and hideous smile were coming from the large gangster that appeared to accept the beautiful woman's small amount of flattery. 

Tifa put her hands at her sides in an apparent flirtatious attempt to disarm the disgusting warlord and get him to fall apart at her will. So far, this tactic appeared to be working.

"Oh, I will always miss you when I'm not at your side. You can bet on that my lovely bride..............yes...........always bet on that."

The Don took Tifa's hand and walked her around the vast office. He appeared to be ready to brag about more of his accomplishments and connections within the criminal underground. Tifa was prepared to pay close attention to everything she was about to be told. This time together would be a critical part of the information she needed to gather for Avalanche when she returned to sector seven. There was also an essential piece of the puzzle she needed to learn about Shinra's role in all of it.

"You see, nothing comes through my market without my say so, and all of the people in it are carefully watched. Should anything happen that I don't like, I find a way to eliminate the problem, and I make money every time that happens. Should somebody double-cross me, I find a way to take care of those people and should anything surprise me..................well let me just say that I don't like surprises."

Tifa was good at pretending to laugh when she needed to, and she nodded at all the right moments. To her credit, she had all the street smarts at playing undercover when it mattered. The night went on as the Don continued to brag about his background to the lovely woman who inflated his ego.

Scotch and Kotch wished their goodbyes as the Don looked like he was getting ready to call it a night. Tifa needed to pull a little more information about the Shinra network to find a way out before she had to meet Corneo in his bedroom and all the horrible ramifications that would come with that.

"You must have gone to so much trouble to be the man of power you are today."

The blonde hair seemed to shift every time the oversized man chuckled with glee; he bounced back down into his large chair before sizing up his bride again. The Don had a terrible habit of staring towards Tifa's body every chance he got.

"Yes, the price that comes with struggling to reach the top. I have had to backstab so many and make multiple sacrifices to be the only crime lord in the area. There were others before, but now I am alone at the peak of my profession. I have had many people help pave the way, of course. The local con-artists, dirty street vendors, gambling, and of course, the corrupt men of Shinra."

This rambling was it, Tifa's last chance to get the Don to slip; she had to be careful here. She could not overreach and blow her cover.

"Gambling is what helped build this town, isn't it?"

Corneo lit a cigar and softly blew it into the still air. He was alone with Tifa in his large office.

"Sorry, my dear, I was just losing my train of thought for a minute. I wanted to know what you would look like without that damn dress on. I've been thinking about that for the past half hour. What were you saying again?"

Tifa was annoyed by the looks she was getting but wasn't going to focus on this disgusting behavior.

("That just means my disguise is working, don't take it personally.............. he's just a pig.")

"You have such a way with words. I bet you can get anyone to do what you want."

This veiled attempt at flattery once more caused the big criminal to chuckle as he continued puffing on his cigar.

"Well, that depends, my dear; I have people that even I must answer to at times. Yes, even the Don of Wall Market has a boss or two he has to think about from time to time. It's disheartening for sure but a fact of life. There's always a bigger fish."

This admission was crucial. Whatever Corneo was about to slip up was vital for Tifa to memorize. She tried to poke further behind the curtain.

"A big, strong man like you? A criminal warlord? You couldn't possibly have anyone above you down here?"

The gangster showed another evil smile as he was about to put out his cigar and take a sip of whisky that sat next to his chair.

"You would think so, but even I must answer to a higher calling when it suits me. One cannot rule on might alone; we must also be cunning when we have to be."

The Don put out his cigar and held a steady look as he studied Tifa's body again. He had the whisky glass in one hand and shook the container's contents around before taking a sip. He spoke as he finished the liquid and placed the empty glass back on the side table to his chair.

"You are so damn gorgeous, and might I say cunning as well..............Ms. Lockhart."

Tifa's alarm bells went off like glass hitting the stone floor from the top of the mansion. Corneo pressed a button on his chair. Every door around the office opened to show guards and thugs walking towards her from all directions.

"Wouldn't it have been so nice to see you get out of that dress?! Oh well, the night is still young HA HA HA!"

She wasn't going down without a fight. Tifa immediately threw a roundhouse kick to two guards on her left before three more men tried to take her down; she grabbed a nearby end table and slammed it at her would-be captors before punching another lackey and drop-kicking yet another thug before Scotch and Kotch came running in with more backup.

Don Corneo was bouncing up and down in his chair while shouting through all the commotion and chaos.

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! SHE'S ONE WOMAN DAMMIT! TAKE HER DOWN, YOU FOOLS!"

Another thug was punched between the eyes. Another lackey was swiped with a finishing uppercut before something electrical hit Tifa from behind.

One of the thugs had a stun gun that weakened the martial artist to the point of going to the ground. She was immediately subdued and handcuffed. Scotch and Kotch ordered all of the men to clean up the mess and took Tifa's arms on either side to stand her up. They held up her weakened body in front of the Don so he could taunt his captive.

"Did you really think you could sneak into my sector and wiggle information out of me?! How pathetic must your "Avalanche" group be to attempt such foolish reconnaissance? I would say at least the spies are getting much better looking than they use to be. TAKE HER DOWNSTAIRS!"

A nearby lackey asked what was going to happen next.

"Did you want us to show her some manners, boss?"

The large gangster shook his head and gave clear instructions.

"No, she is a delicate flower that I alone will have the privilege of teaching a lesson to. Tell no one to disturb her until I can come downstairs. Got it?"

Struggling against her close binds, there was nothing Tifa could do. Being taken down a dark, dreadful passage that led downstairs showed her that the situation was hopeless. The martial artist thought of one last thing before her captors carried her down into the depths of Corneo's mansion.

("Cloud, Barret............. I'm sorry I failed............... I tried my best..............")

-

\- Present Day-

"So, are you two lovebirds ready for the next phase of the tournament?"

Cloud scoffed at the question Kyle threw at them while Aerith merely giggled. The two fighters stood outside the main gate and prepared for the next part of the festivities. They had received an invitation to a special event that would take place between the group fighters before the next round.

"Sure, what's going on before the next fight?"

The gatekeeper was adjusting his walkie talkie while trying to answer Cloud's question. Kyle's mind seemed elsewhere while providing more details.

"Standard procedure really, in the event an odd number of teams make it to the finals, a coin toss is done to determine who gets to sit out in the next round of fighting. The team that sits out is put at an advantage because they participate in one less match. In this case, you want to win the coin toss because it affords you a much-needed break. You both could use one after the last match you went through."

Cloud put a hand under his chin as he pondered how the coin toss would work. Aerith was looking at his face with intrigue.

"Hey, what are you thinking in that adorable head of yours?"

Cloud wasn't playing along; he seemed to be deep in thought.

"I wonder if this coin toss coming up is going to be fair, I wouldn't expect so, but at least we have a chance, I suppose."

Kyle heard what the swordsman had to say and replied while jotting something down on one of his clipboards.

"Nothing in Wall Market is fair. Sometimes you just have to be lucky. Don't worry about the coin toss; it just comes down to chance. You will get to fight one more match in the group bracket, or you'll be stuck with two. Simple as that."

Aerith just remembered there would still be two more groups on their side of the tournament. She hadn't thought about that in some time, so she asked the obvious question.

"Since Cutty and Sweepy won their match, who won the other one after we fought the Powerhands?"

The gatekeeper had finished taking notes and pushed his cowboy hat up a little to open his field of vision. He looked interested in the conversation now as he shared his knowledge of the previous battles.

"Oh, yeah, I only told you about Cutty and Sweepy. The Sentinels of Magic finished the Quartet Threat off fairly quickly as well. They are also undefeated but aren't near as intimidating. Their magical abilities are similar to yours, Aerith. Though if I'm being honest, I would say your magic is more powerful than anything they have used in the tournament."

Cloud and Aerith took that last phrase as a compliment as an announcement came over the nearby radio.

"Send them in! The crowd is ready for the coin toss!"

Kyle took the electronic device in one hand and pressed the button firmly to answer the page.

"Yeah, yeah, they are on their way!"

The massive, red, and black gates opened to show the roaring crowd jumping at approval. Scotch and Kotch appeared to be in the middle of a fiery speech.

The power couple walked towards the center of the arena as someone they had yet to meet was introduced.

"GIVE IT UP FOR THE MAN OF THE HOUR! CHOCOBO SAM IS IN THE HOUSE! DOING WHAT HE DOES BEST LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"

A sturdy, rugged-looking man in a cowboy hat and boots calmly waved to the crowd as he walked towards the center of the ring. He showed little interest in being introduced in such a loud manner.

The crowd cheered loudly and enthusiastically as the group fighters made their way to the center. Scotch and Kotch waited for the excitement to die down before explaining how the rest of the group bracket would commence.

"As my fellow lovers of mayhem have learned, we have an odd number of teams remaining for the finals!"

There was a shuffling of applause and cheers as Kotch continued the announcement.

"The Don knows how much we all love the glory of battle and bloodshed, so he has arranged a treat for all of us today!"

More applause and whistling met the words of the announcers.

"Instead of one final match with three teams in a chaotic free for all, we will have a coin toss to give one fighting group a bye round! That lucky team will get to watch the other two groups go head-to-head!"

The cheers continued as Cloud and Aerith looked across the arena. Only the Sentinels of Magic were standing across from them. Cutty and Sweepy were nowhere to be found.

"Wonder why the other team isn't here?"

Aerith shrugged as Cloud studied their opponents. They appeared to be some kind of Shinra grunts. Something higher than standard military, but nowhere near the level of the Powerhands, they didn't seem intimidating or powerful. The two men stood still and waited for the next part of the coin toss to commence. They at least appeared to be quiet and respectful.

The man in the cowboy gear walked up to both teams and signaled for everyone to step forward. Scotch and Kotch also approached from the press box. The group formed a small circle around the man who would initiate the coin toss.

Chocobo Sam stood in the middle of everyone and spoke clear instructions in his low, deep, and powerful voice.

"Listen up, everyone, this is the coin we are going to be using this evening."

A golden coin was presented in front of everyone; Cloud made sure he got a good look at it before anything happened. The small circle of precious metal appeared to have two sides that resembled a Chocobo's head. One side had a different sized portrait than the other. This must be representative of the heads or tails symbol.

Everyone stood still and nodded in response, the man in charge of the coin toss continued.

"We have two teams here, Cutty and Sweepy will not be joining us for the toss because they are inanimate objects that don't have feelings, and I know whoever advances will get destroyed by them whether or not they have to fight them now or later."

That last statement made Cloud, Aerith, and their opponents tense up a little bit. How powerful was that team supposed to be?

("Inanimate objects? Are they robots or machines of some kind?")

The thought Cloud carried in his head was interrupted by the instructions given by Chocobo Sam.

"Young man, you are the visiting team here. The Sentinels are a higher seed with more battles to their name, so you will call it in the air. This is a one-on-one coin toss, so if you get it right, you and your lady friend here will earn the bye. Call it wrong, and you both will have to fight Cutty and Sweepy in the next round."

Kotch and Scotch announced Chocobo Sam's terms to the abnormally quiet crowd. The grand arena's tension could be cut with a knife as the electronic bracket awaited the results above.

The terms seemed fair; Cloud nodded as the announcement went through the loudspeakers.

"Cloud is about to make the call, should he get it right, the Sentinels of Magic will fight Cutty and Sweepy in the next round!"

There was a scattering of applause as the crowd gave a soft cheer. Cloud's popularity seemed to be rising among the masses.

The swordsman looked at Aerith before stepping forward; he wanted permission.

"Sure you don't wanna do it? You might be luckier than I am."

The flower girl shook her head.

"I wouldn't say that. I know we'll be ok no matter how it goes."

Cloud stood across from his opponents as the coin was set on Sam's hand; it rested right above his thumb.

"Ready?"

The SOLDIER nodded and waited for the flip.

The clink of metal sounded as the gold piece spun wildly in the air.

"HEADS."

Chocobo Sam caught the gleaming coin in his hand and flipped it over onto his other wrist before revealing the result to Cloud and the other group.

The side was revealed, a larger Chocobo portrait was unveiled, and Sam looked at Cloud and Aerith with a small grin.

"Heads it is. You have won the toss. Enjoy the bye, folks."

The Sentinels of Magic were about to protest, but Chocobo Sam put his hand up to ignore the dispute.

"They called it fair and square, don't complain about lady luck. It's a fifty-fifty chance, simple as that."

The cowboy nodded to the crowd and walked out of the arena. There were cheers as Scotch and Kotch announced the results to the mob of spectators. Now that the tournament brackets had been updated, the crowd was moving around during the break and awaiting the tournament's next battle.

The other team approached; they both appeared to be men based on the armor they were wearing. Their faces were covered with helmets, but the pair stopped in front of Cloud to speak over the crowd's noises and the announcements.

"Lucky guess, we'll be ready for you both, though. We've seen you guys fight; I think we can beat you no problem."

Cloud and Aerith didn't mind hearing from the competition; it seemed out of place, though, with another fight occurring before they would meet up in any case.

"You have to get past Cutty and Sweepy first; good luck to you both either way."

There was a small nod of politeness as their possible future opponents heard Cloud's advice and then walked away.

"Kind of a big ego coming from them, huh?" Aerith mentioned her thoughts aloud.

The swordsman crossed his arms and watched the other team walk away before responding.

"They are undefeated here, but I'm more concerned about these robots everyone keeps mentioning."

The flower girl seemed worried.

"You think Cutty and Sweepy will win?"

The blonde fighter started back towards their waiting room, with Aerith walking close by.

"I have no idea, but we better be prepared either way, and I think we could both do with a visit to the arena doctor before the next round starts."

They both noticed the giant screen in the background show the tournament bracket's group side as they walked out of the arena.

Cutty and Sweepy (34-0) vs. Sentinels of Magic (26-0)  
<*Winner will face Cloud and Aerith> (3-0)  
<*All remaining group teams have never lost a battle in the Colosseum!>

-

"Remind me why you wanted to rig the coin toss for those two again?"

Chocobo Sam was standing in front of the Don as the Turk from Shinra had returned to discuss the next round of the tournament with the criminal warlord. Scotch and Kotch had also resumed their daily duties as the head lieutenants of Corneo's secret underworld of gambling and treachery.

The big boss was no longer chuckling or bouncing around with happiness. He took long puffs on one of his cigars before tapping the tobacco into a nearby ashtray.

"The crowd is going to get their hopes and bets up by how fast your weaponized robots will destroy the first team, and we both know the odds placed on Cutty and Sweepy will be overwhelmingly in their favor before that swordsman, and magical girl fights them in the finals for the group bracket."

Sam simply held a hand under his chin; he was trying to understand where Corneo was going with this.

"Yeah, they never lose. You know this fact as well as anyone."

Corneo had a dangerous look come out of his eyes. He stared down at the bird manager before speaking in a harsh tone. The large stomach of the gangster stretched over the edge of the chair as he leaned forward to issue a grave warning.

"Remember what we discussed Sam......................they WILL LOSE to this Cloud and Aerith in the finals and if they don't............ I will never..............EVER................FORGET............Do you understand now?! The goddamn Powerhands weren't supposed to lose, but the swordsman and florist surprised me............... I hate surprises, and there WON'T be any more................ GOT IT?!"

The vendor with the cowboy hat and boots did not look intimidated by the demand. Still, he softly nodded before he spoke his answer.

"I will keep my end of the bargain, but I want your assurances that we are even after this. It was enough for me and my business to keep those robots up to service. The amount of Gil they cost to maintain and repair consistently was ridiculous. Still, now you tell me to throw all of that work away. We are square now, got it?"

The head of Wall Market scoffed and accepted the request.

"Your debts will be officially wiped away after Cutty and Sweepy lose in the finals. Remember, they must destroy their first set of opponents then lose to the swordsman and flower girl. This is what will dig us out of our money pit. Rest assured, you will be compensated for your role in all of this."

Scotch handed Chocobo Sam a sealed envelope that the vendor snagged as he walked out of the executive suite. He seemed to wear his frustration on his sleeve as he stormed out of the luxurious room.

"You got it, goodnight, boss."

Once the door closed, a familiar deep voice echoed through the room.

"My part of the deal has been locked down as you requested. Tell me what you are thinking for the finals."

Corneo waved Scotch and Kotch away with a quick gesture so they could return to their press box and brought out his tournament bracket on a nearby screen.

"After Cutty and Sweepy annihilate the Sentinels, the crowd will have no choice but to bet on them overwhelmingly, and that's when these two surprise fighters deliver for us. I doubted them before, but now I need them to finish those damn war machines. Once that happens, we make back more than our losses up to this point, and my solo fighter more than covers the difference."

The Turk was studying the screen; the plan was straightforward. The Don was betting on the underdogs in almost every match.

"So Cutty and Sweepy lose in the finals because of a handicap that you are sure Sam will come through with?"

The big boss put another cigar in his mouth before responding. "He will if he wants to stay in this town, should he defy me..............it won't end well for him or his business."

"What happens in the championship match? The solo winner vs. the group winner?"

Corneo tapped his cigar into the ashtray once more and took a deep breath.

"For that....................we will have to wait and see."

An evil grin filled the face of the mastermind behind the whole tournament. The Turk from Shinra carefully studied the expression before he spoke up.

"Aren't our chips all-in on White Widow?"

The blonde boss sat back in his chair before answering the question.

"Yes.............but we also have an ace in the hole, so to speak. Once we get all the Gil back on the bets, her winning the tournament won't matter...................but I will honor my agreement if she does.............. let's say her involvement shouldn't affect the outcome regardless."

The Turk seemed annoyed but kept his feelings in check.

"So, you don't intend on giving her what she wants? What did I just go back to Headquarters for?"

The Don looked perturbed but also kept his voice at an average level.

"My people are prepared for every scenario; if we can accomplish what we want here for Neo-Midgar and raise the funds needed for the next buy off, why do we need to give the girl what she wants? Don't be offended if we end up screwing her over. Remember who writes the checks for your superiors."

The two schemers simply left it at that.

-

Cloud and Aerith were walking back to their waiting room after visiting the arena doctors. It was the first time they had asked for any aid, and the staff didn't disappoint.

A healer immediately cleaned the wound on Aerith's shoulder before another assistant patched her jacket and removed the dirt and tiny bits of shrapnel from her arms. A cure spell was cast when the group had wrapped everything up, and the flower girl appeared to be as good as new.

While the healers and medical workers were attending to Aerith, someone walked up to Cloud to ask him if he needed care, and this caused the swordsman to push the poor assistant away from him with a "Buzz off," the words made Aerith frown before she apologized for her partner's behavior.

"Don't mind him; the last round was rough for everyone. He doesn't mean to criticize your work. We both appreciate everything you are doing for us."

This made Cloud calm down, but afterward, he decided to stand quietly against a nearby wall. At the same time, Aerith finished her time on the examination table. They both left with a simple thank you, and the staff wished them luck in their next match.

"We are big fans, guys! We hope you both win it all!"

Returning to their room was quiet and straightforward. Nobody interrupted their walk. The further the tournament went, the more it seemed like the waiting area outside the gates was getting slower and calmer as time passed by.

"Wonder if Kyle is near-"

A knock interrupted Cloud's thought.

"Speak of the devil."

The gatekeeper indeed opened the door to make an announcement.

"Oh, good, you guys got patched up with the medical staff. And you aren't about to jump each other's bones for once. That's always a plus."

Cloud was about to tell Kyle what he could do with his clipboard before the gatekeeper interrupted to make his announcement.

"The next match is on in five minutes; your screen will have it in here should you want to watch it. You are fighting after the solo final round, so there is one more battle after Cutty and Sweepy fight the Sentinels. You will both fight the winner of that group matchup, got it?"

They both nodded, and Kyle left without another word.

"You worried about the next fight?"

Aerith looked at Cloud with a soft expression on her face.

"Just thinking about what Chocobo Sam said if these robots are indeed that strong............."

The swordsman turned the screen on to observe the next match. The Sentinels were standing in the arena and taking in the applause from the crowd. The sounds of the Coliseum echoed from outside of the waiting room the power couple was standing in.

Scotch and Kotch resumed their typical announcement routine.

"AND NOW! The undefeated champions of metal! With a devastating record of thirty-four wins and zero losses in our very own arena! Give it up for your indestructible heroes! CUTTY AND SWEEPY!"

The crowd went crazy with applause and cheers as two giant mechanized robots tore the gate down and stepped into the arena.

As far as height went, they were at least ten times taller than the two military Shinra grunts standing in the middle of the Coliseum. They probably weighed a ton as one of the units carried twin circular blades. The other had heavy anti-infantry guns on its arms.

"They really are robots................this isn't fair to anyone who fights them."

Cloud held his arms crossed as he studied the screen. Aerith's mouth was partly open with shock and concern.

"More like Shinra armor, I don't think this is going to be a fair fight."

The mercenary's words could not have been more accurate. As soon as Kotch started the match with an official shout Cutty lunged across the ring and severed an arm from one of the Sentinels; the other fighter tried to heal his ally but was shot up bullets immediately by sweepy. The entirety of the match lasted under a minute before they both shouted their surrender to the roar of the approving spectators.

Aerith had stopped watching and turned to bury her head in Cloud's chest. The SOLDIER covered her with his arms and held her close to soothe her worry.

"This is horrible................"

Scotch announced the results as the medical staff ran into the arena to rescue the two downed fighters.

"And now the streak continues! My fellow lovers of mayhem! Give it up for the unstoppable CUTTY AND SWEEPY!"

"We'll beat them. We'll put this garbage to an end. You and me together."

The flower girl echoed what Cloud spoke into her ear.

"I know we will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The challenge lies ahead for Cloud and Aerith! What other surprises are in store for the end of the tournament?! Thank You all for reading and have a good one!

**Author's Note:**

> My other series Just a Dream is currently under construction and it will be a while before I post the next update on that.
> 
> I loved how this first chapter just came together on this new work and it was shorter than what I am used to but I thought it worked well. If you have any thoughts or suggestions I always welcome feedback! Thanks for reading!


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